Complex sentence: The old parishes were formed at a time when there was little difference between the Church and the State, and a parish such as Croughton usually formed around a village or other small settlement, centred around the Parish Church.
Split into simpler sentences: The old parishes were formed at a time when there was little difference between the Church and the State. A parish like Croughton usually formed around a village or other small settlement, centred around the Parish Church.