Offa, the King of Mercia, an Anglo Saxon kingdom, had a hunting lodge or fortified house nearby. He ruled from 757 until his death in July 796, and it is said he founded the church at Offchurch.
Earliest worshippers
The earliest people to worship at this location were pilgrims in the 7th century who came to pay their respects to St Modwenna – an Irish nun and miracle worker. A shrine to her was housed in a small wooden chapel. Later a settlement developed in early Saxon times and 19th century excavations south of the churchyard found remains from a Saxon cemetery. The first stone church was built by early Christians and it is believed it may date from the time of King Offa who had his own priest at the church. The church was later dedicated to St Fremund, a Christian martyr born in the village and murdered in AD866. Legend suggests that his body was brought to the church for burial. The present building dates from early Norman times (early 12th century).
The North Door is the oldest feature in the present church and was the entrance to King Offa’s original stone chapel. The interior arch is Saxon, and the external arch is characteristic of Norman architecture. The patterns round the arch are the same design as those on the interior chancel arch, and are similar to those carved into the tomb of Thomas-a-Becket around 1200 in Canterbury cathedral. The church tower is 15th century, constructed of blue-grey Warwick stone, and houses six bells. There are indentations in the stone which are marks made by musket balls fired by Cromwell’s troops during a skirmish as they returned from the Battle of Edgehill in October 1642.
Priest’s door
The church has a priest’s door and the lower window is possible a “leper” window which in less enlightened times allowed lepers to receive a blessing from the priest without entering the church. There is another school of thought that suggests such windows were used by priests who would lean out ringing a bell, thus summoning agricultural workers to mass.