Church of Our Lady of Egmanton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Church of Our Lady of Egmanton
Church of Our Lady of Egmanton
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Anglo Catholic
Website	www.achurchnearyou.com/church/17771/
History
Dedication	St. Mary
Administration
Parish	Egmanton
Diocese	Southwell and Nottingham
Province	York

The Church of Our Lady of Egmanton, also known as St. Mary's Church, is a special church in Egmanton, Nottinghamshire, England. It belongs to the Church of England. This church is famous because it is home to the Shrine of Our Lady of Egmanton.

The church is considered a very important building. It has a special "Grade I listed" status from the government. This means it is a building of great historical or architectural value.

History of the Church

The village of Egmanton is mentioned in the Domesday Book from 1085. This old book lists who owned land and what was on it. However, it does not mention a church or a priest in Egmanton at that time.

Old Customs and Traditions

In the early 1700s, a fun tradition started in Egmanton. Couples who got married at the church would give a cake to the church bell ringers. In return, the bell ringers would write the couple's names in the bell tower. This list was removed when the church was repaired in the late 1800s.

Another old tradition from the 1800s involved a large ham. It was kept at the church for a local family. This family would eat the ham at a feast after a funeral.

War Memorial

A special memorial for the parish was officially revealed and dedicated on Saturday, March 20, 1920. This memorial remembers people from the area who served in wars.

Church Architecture and Design

Some parts of the Church of Our Lady of Egmanton are very old, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. The church is built from stone. It has a main area called a chancel, a nave with windows high up (clerestory), and a north aisle. It also has a south transept and a tall tower on the west side.

Key Features of the Building

The windows in the south transept were built in the late 1300s. The tall west tower was added in the 1400s. You can also see older, Romanesque styles in the simple south doorway, the arches on the north side, and the font (a basin used for baptisms). The church tower has three bells, made by a company called John Taylor & Co.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Egmanton

Inside the church is the Shrine of Our Lady of Egmanton. This shrine began because people believed the Virgin Mary appeared to a local woman in a nearby area called Ladywood, sometime before the 1100s. For many years, until 1547, the shrine was a very popular place for people to visit on pilgrimages.

Pilgrim Marks

You can still see marks left by medieval pilgrims. These are small crosses scratched into the stone near the south door and in the north aisle. Pilgrims would scratch these crosses to show they had completed a promise or vow. People traveling from the north often stopped at Egmanton on their way to another famous pilgrimage site in Walsingham.

Modern Pilgrimages

Modern pilgrimages to the Egmanton shrine started again in 1929. In 1930, Father Alfred Hope Patten, who helped restore the shrine at Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, led a pilgrimage here. Today, a group called the Society of Our Lady of Egmanton organizes several pilgrimages to the shrine each year.

Church Restoration Work

The beautiful statue of Our Lady of Egmanton, wearing a crown and holding the Holy Child, was created by Sir Ninian Comper. It was put in place as part of a big restoration project between 1896 and 1898. This work was supported by Henry Pelham-Clinton, 7th Duke of Newcastle.

Comper's Design Influence

Ninian Comper's restoration work not only saved the building but also added many beautiful details that make the church's inside special. For example, the case for the organ was designed to look like one in a cathedral in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. The pulpit, where sermons are given, was designed like one in Ghent, Belgium. Comper also designed the colorful stained glass windows in the church.

Rood Screen Restoration

The rood screen, a decorative screen separating parts of the church, was repaired in 2005 by Michelle Pepper. Part of the money for this repair came from a grant by the Nottinghamshire Historic Churches Trust.

The Church Organ

Sir Ninian Comper placed the church organ above the south door entrance. He also designed the organ's outer case. The part of the organ where the musician plays, called the console, is located on the rood screen. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register website.

See also

• Grade I listed buildings in Nottinghamshire
• Listed buildings in Egmanton