Curdworth is an ancient place; dating back to the 6th century as an Anglian settlement if not earlier. It is about 11 miles east of Birmingham.
There is reason to believe the area was of significance to the Saxons. The very name Curdworth is believed to originate from “Creoda’s Clearing”. Creoda was an important Anglo-Saxon King who ruled Mercia between 586-593. He is notable as the first King of Mercia with ancestry that could be traced back to Woden (Odin). A significant Anglo-Saxon god.
Curdworth Hall is built on Saxon structures and the King George V Playing Fields adjacent to the church was also the site of a medieval Saxon Manor complex.
Hauntings
There are plenty of deaths associated with Curdworth and many reports of ghosts. In the English Civil War 20 parliamentarians were killed when Sir Richard Willys attached while they were trapped by boggy ground by Curdworth Bridge. They were buried by the south wall of the chancel at Curdworth Church.
One of the ghosts that are said to haunt the church is a headless spirit of a Civil War soldier. Others report a green lady roaming the grounds of the church. One of the more common sightings in the graveyard is that of a ghostly young girl who vanishes into the graves.
The Church itself if dedicated to St Nicholas and St Peter ad Vincula. The present building dates back to about 1170, Norman in origin, and is the home to the three-bell bell tower (which was added in 1460 by the Earl of Warwick).
In Pure Spirit
Have you been to Curdworth and seen any of the mysterious lights over the graveyard or the unexplained lights by the Church?
Do you believe this Curdworth church is haunted or are people just getting carried away with themselves?
Creative Commons credit: Roger Kidd.
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