ABOUT ST GEORGES PARISH CHURCH TELFORD
The present Church building which has a Grade II listing was erected in 1861 in memory of George Granville 2nd Duke of Sutherland and was paid for by voluntary contributions. ( Some may wonder just how "voluntary" these contributions may have appeared to the tenants of the Sutherland Estates at the time)
The building was to a design of G.E. Street a noted Victorian architect and is acknowledged to be one of his finest early designs.
It is a stone rubble construction consisting of a Nave and Chancel with the interior comprising red, grey and buff stone with red brick dressing. The supporting pillars on both the north and South aisles are of octagonal,circular and quatrefoil design.
The building replaced an earlier construction, known as Pains Lane Chapel (the previous name of the area now known as St Georges) which stood between the present church and the building formerly known as St Georges Institute some 30 or 40 metres from the present church and lying slightly to the south of west of the present alignment. Some of the foundation of that older building, which in fact only stood for a period of 50 years or so, were uncovered during work to lay a sewage and waste water pipe and a metal safe dated 1814 and inscribed Pains Lane Chapel Register Chest is still in use for that purpose in the Vestry of the present Church.
When originally built the Church did not have a tower, the porch being capped at the first level.
The remainder of the tower containing a carillon of bells and a clock was constructed by a local firm of builders (A. Roper of Wellington) and was dedicated on St Andrews Day (30th of November) 1929.
Unlike the remainder of the building the tower is brick built with an outer facing of matching stone.
The tower was again paid for by public subscription.