St John the Baptist, Stapleton
Recorded in the Domesday Book this church was originally part of the medieval motte and bailey. The church dates from around 1200 A.D. and is of particular interest architecturally. At one period the local population was protected from the Welsh on the ground floor. At another the congregation worshipped on the 1st floor level which has since been removed.
The organ is listed among the top six hundred in the Country and there is a small tapestry piece in the nave said to have been worked by Mary Queen of Scots.
The church is locked during the day but the key is readily available from ‘Heather Bank’ opposite the church and all visitors are warmly welcomed.