Holy Angels
Hoar Cross, Staffordshire
This amazing gothic revival church is quite a surprising find in a remote hamlet in rural Staffordshire and is one of the finest examples of the work by GF Bodley.
For hundreds of years they have been among the props for Abbots Bromley's famous Horn Dance. It takes place each September, and the church is the traditional starting point for the dancers, who travel some 10 miles around the neighbouring villages and farms during the course of the day.
The origins of the church itself may even predate those of the ancient dance: a church here was recorded in 1002 and the list of priests goes back to 1086.
The medieval church, dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, was extensively restored during the 19th century but much older work is still evident. The classical tower was built in 1688 to replace its collapsed predecessor.
