The Domesday Book states that Meresberie had a church, probably in the middle of the field marked in red on the map to left. It also said that there were '10 Welshmen with a Priest', but these appear to have been separate from the English church.

The Anglo-Saxons liked towers on their churches as they doubled as a good lookout point from the fortified settlements. The Domesday Book mentions no other churches in the Hundred of Mersete, roughly modern day Oswestry Borough, so the one at Meresberie confirmed its status as the main settlement of the Hundred, and was probably quite substantial.

We have an unconfirmed report that there was a 'Roman graveyard' in Corner Field, which would be consistent with the practice of the Saxons, and the earlier Celtic Romano-British, of placing their cemeteries just outside the fortified settlement. It is possible that the Saxons took over the settlement from an earlier one built by the Cornovii tribe, the local Romano British, but we have no confirmation of that either.

The church was almost certainly destroyed by the Normans soon after 1086, when they built what became St. Oswalds, near to their new castle. That seems to have been the end of any churches in Maesbury for the next 750 years.

In 1407 much of Maesbury, including the Mill, was given to the new Oswestry School. It is possible some children of wealthy Maesbury families may have attended the school, but most would have had no education at all.

Gwern y Brenin Chapel

The map opposite is from 1839, showing the Gwernybrenin crossroads - to the left of which is marked a chapel, with a 'Field opposite the chapel.

It was apparently built in 1831, but replaced by the Congreational Chapel in Maesbury Marsh in 1855 (see below). There is now a cottage on the site.

Bethesda Primitive Methodist Chapel in Ball lane.

This stone-built chapel was erected in 1834, but closed in the 1920s and is now derelict.

On the datestone is written

PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL
THEY SHALL PROSPER
THAT LOVE THEE
1834

The 'Chain' school, built in 1838, and caretaker's cottage, now private dwellings. The school became closely linked to St. John's Church (built in 1906, see below) which is separated from it by just a small orchard.

More formally known as the Maesbury National School, the local name 'Chain School' distinguished it from the 'Marsh School' (below) and referred to its proximity to the toll road chain nearby.

The smaller pictures show details of the school bell and the twisted chimney.

After the school closed in 1923 the building became a young men's institute before being coverted to a dwelling.

By the mid 19th century there was still no established, Anglican church in Maesbury, just the two non-conformist chapels, which reflects the large number of people of Welsh origin compared with English in the 1851 Census. Maesbury was part of the Holy Trinity Parish based at the church in Salop Road, but many from the south of the area apparently attanded Morton Church.

By this time many of the church graveyards, particularly in towns, were becoming full. In 1862 Oswestry Town Council built a municipal cementery at Victoria Road. Many Maesbury people are buried there and the local residents have made some contribution its upkeep, via their parish taxes, ever since.

Congregational Chapel, Maesbury Marsh, with the caretaker's cottage to the right.

This chapel (closed in 1985 and since demolished) was erected in 1868 to replace a former chapel which had been built in 1855. The congregation met previously at Gwernybrenin in a chapel erected in 1831.

The lower photo shows the buildings to the rear of the caretaker's cottage that were the Chapel School, at right angles to the chapel (formally the British School, but known locally as the Marsh School). The school closed in 1923 (replaced by the new school below) and the Chapel Hall at the rear of the site was added in 1929. This remained a village hall for some years. All the buildings were demolished in the mid 1980s.

The site is now occupied by Hobnob House (the school half) and The Lees (the chapel half).

St. John's Church, Maesbury.

Built in 1906 in three days and still very much in use.

There is still no graveyard in Maesbury and the Parish Council continues to contribute to the Oswestry Cemetery in Victoria Road.

Marriages have been possible in the church since the 1990s.

The council school from the front and rear. This opened in 1923 to replace both the church and chapel schools. The original plan was to build another wing to make it symetrical, but the pupil numbers never materialised.

• Pupil's sign of success - May 2005
• Inspection Report 2002
• report from 1997
• report from 2000
• Maesbury School wins £1000 2001