St Augustine of Canterbury, Rugeley

The church was built in the 12th century and consisted of nothing but a chancel and nave. In the 13th century, a lady chapel was added to the nave and chancel and by the 14th century. A north aisle was added to the chapel making the church the official church of Rugeley. The church continued to be used for religious practices and community-related meetings and uses until the 19th century. When it was seen as being too small for the growing congregation at the time and a new church and land for one began.

The replacement church

The church was officially closed and a replacement to it was opened by the Bishop of Chester using the materials of the old church opposite. The reason for the new church being built was due to the old church being too small for the then-growing congregation of the town and surrounding communities. As a result, the church was declared redundant and the newer church was built on the opposite and enlarged to cater to the growing population and practicing Christians. The land for the new church was provided by the First Earl of Lichfield and cost approximately £6,501 (equivalent to £619,428.98 in 2023) to complete and purchase the land.

The original church still stands opposite the modern church as the "Old Chancel" and is used for both tourists and burials at the nearby cemeteries. The modern church is still used as a place of worship and community centre for the wider religious and non religious community of the town and surrounding villages.[4][5]