Hire of Church & Church Hall

St Chads unique architecture and unsurpassed acoustics makes it the ideal venue for plays, concerts and lectures in a semi-circular setting. The church holds up to 1000 people including the gallery. We have an excellent sound system and a hearing loop. Toilets are available, including one which is wheelchair accessible and a new boiler has been fitted in 2007. The church verger is on hand to help and advise with your preparations. For more details and hire charges contact the church office.

St Chads also has a well appointed Parish Hall within a few yards of the church which is available for private bookings. It will hold a maximum of 90 people and has a new central heating boiler and a well fitted kitchen. The hall is not licensed for alcohol or amplified music. Currently the charges are £35 per letting of the hall. An additional £10 for full use of the kitchen facilities (or £5 should you only require basic kitchen facilities such as tea and coffee making) is also payable. Contact the church office for more information and availability.

Examples of previous events held in St Chad’s

The Shrewsbury Summer Season 2007 used St.Chad’s for a range of events – including performances by the folk singer, Vin Garbutt; the World Quintet Kolsimcha and the Juan Martin Flamenco Ensemble. Puccini’s “La Boheme" was planned to be performed “al fresco” as an “Opera in the Square” as part of the Season but, due to inclement weather, the opera was quickly re-staged in St.Chad’s instead. Chris Eldon-Lee and the Shrewsbury Summer committee expressed their appreciation to the church particularly as it had meant that the evening congregation moved their church service into St.Aidan’s chapel to accommodate the opera. Sir Willard White gave his tribute concert to Paul Robeson during the Summer Season 2006.

The centre-piece of a recent Darwin festival (held annually in February) was a classic of American theatre written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, "Inherit the Wind". Performed by the Shropshire County Drama Group (now Shropshire Drama Company) , the play was inspired by the infamous Scopes 'Monkey Trial' of 1925. During the run of the play, the church was transformed into a Dayton courtroom in the intense heat of Tennessee Summer. On the face of it, the play is a face-off between Darwinism and Creationists but the real theme explores freedom of thought and man's natural thirst for knowledge. Festival director Jon King said "It had long been an ambition to screen the film in Darwin Month but to actually stage the play was a dream come true." As the church where Darwin was baptised and whose mission statement is "Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds", we were privileged to be hosts to such a special theatrical event.

European Entente
Florale Competition
Shrewsbury in Bloom
Photo courtesy of Paul Fuller

In the summer of 2007, the town of Shrewsbury achieved remarkable victories for the UK in two prestigious international floral community competitions: Gold in the European Entente Florale Competition and winner of the International Challenge in the Communities in Bloom Competition. Floral arrangements depicting each of the Judges’ home countries were on display in St Chad’s Church and were scrutinised by the team of judges for the European Entente Florale Competition. The judges commented: “……. green networks throughout the town and balanced floral displays in the town centre brilliantly finished with the horticultural finale in the Dingle and at St Chad's Church …. were outstanding. The Jury awards a Gold Medal."

The church has also been used for such events as the Discover Shropshire Project where local schoolchildren have been able to learn about their county. This was arranged by Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council.

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Page last updated Saturday, February 13, 2010