St. Mary, Wallington

St. Mary, Wallington

St. Mary’s was open and proved to be an interesting church to visit. There is quite a bit of local history here as this is where George Orwell married and a copy of his marriage entry can be purchased (his real name was Eric Blair) and they make quite a bit of this connection. This is a good example of how how a connection  with a famous person can be used to enhance the visitor’s experience of a church. There are various local history booklets for sale – a couple focus on George Orwell. The wider history of the place is not forgotten either.

37 people had signed the visitors book this year – several of them ramblers. Is the church on a well known walking route? ‘Saints and Pilgrims’ is displayed as well and there is a folder about the parishes World War 1 casualties. These have become common and are a welcome development. There are some wonderful old pews here (which don’t look very comfortable) which contrast with a modern altar. It is always fascinating to see how church buildings develop over the centuries.

An interesting church to visit but which could do with some way of accommodating prayer requests.