Church of St Edmund King and Martyr, Kellington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Edmunds' Church |
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| Church of St Edmund King and Martyr, Kellington | |
St Edmund's church
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 St Edmunds' Church
Location in North Yorkshire
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| 53°42′53″N 1°10′16″W / 53.7146°N 1.1712°W | |
| OS grid reference | SE547245 |
| Location | Kellington, North Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Norman Early English Decorated |
| Specifications | |
| Height | 54 feet (16 m) (tower) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Kellington |
| Benefice | Knottingley and Kellington with Whitley |
| Deanery | Pontefract |
| Archdeaconry | Pontefract |
| Diocese | Leeds |
The Church of St Edmund King and Martyr, Kellington, is a very old church in the village of Kellington, North Yorkshire, England. It was built way back in the 1100s. This church is so special that it's a 'grade I listed' building. This means it's super important historically.
During digs at the church, people found a 14th-century tomb. This tomb was connected to the famous Knights Templar. In the 1990s, the church needed special work to its foundations. This was because a nearby coal mine, Kellingley Colliery, might have made the ground sink.
The church stands on a small hill, a bit away from the village. This makes it easy to spot and a well-known landmark. Inside, there's a special stone called the Kellington Serpent-Stone. It has old carvings and a cool legend about a shepherd who fought a snake!
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History of St Edmund's Church
The church is about a quarter-mile (0.4 km) west of the village. It sits on a small hill. Digs suggest this hill might have been a holy place even before. Some believe a Saxon church once stood here.
The church was first mentioned in the late 1100s. At that time, the Knights Templar appointed John de Kellington as the rector. The Knights Templar were a powerful group of warrior monks. They owned a lot of land in the area.
Knights Templar Connection
The church probably existed before 1177. It was given to the Knights Templar by Henri de Lacy. He died in 1177 while on a Crusade. A vicarage (the home of the vicar) was first recorded in 1291.
A survey in 1307 said the Templars used the church for themselves. But in 1308, Sir John Crepping took over the Templars' lands. This included the church at Kellington. Many Templars were buried at Kellington. However, some graves have been lost over time.
In 1310, the church was given to Sir Miles de Stapleton. He kept it for only three years. By 1342, St Edmund's was owned by the Knights Hospitaller. After them, the church's ownership passed to Trinity College in Cambridge.
Church Architecture and Styles
The main part of the church has Norman origins. This means it was built in the style popular around the 11th and 12th centuries. The tower was added later. Over the years, the church has been renovated. This has added other styles. These include Early English and Decorated styles.
The Kellington Serpent-Stone
In 1548, the Kellington Serpent-Stone was moved. It was taken from a special spot in the church. The stone is made of magnesian limestone. It has a carved sword down the middle. There's a human figure on the left and a "grotesque" (strange-looking) figure on the right.
The stone was placed in the churchyard. But the weather started to damage it. So, in the 1920s, it was brought back inside the church. Roger Dodsworth described the stone in 1621. He called the strange figure a "flying serpent." He also linked the stone to a local story. It's about a shepherd who killed a serpent but died in the fight.
Modern History and Repairs
In the late 1850s, the vicar, Joseph Mann, helped raise money. This was for a new church called a chapel-of-ease in nearby Whitley. This became All Saints' Parish Church. It was like a younger sister church to St Edmund's.
In the 1960s and 2000s, both churches held joint worship. They worshipped with local Methodist groups.
In the 1990s, the church needed major repairs. A nearby coal mine, Kellingley Colliery, was expanding. This could have caused the ground to sink. So, the church's foundations needed to be made stronger. This process is called underpinning.
Archaeologists dug up the area around the church. They excavated burials inside and around the church. This happened from October 1990 to April 1991. Many skeletons were stored in a special room. This room, called an ossuary, was built under the tower.
British Coal spent £1 million in 1991 to protect the church. The tower was taken apart. After the underpinning work, it was rebuilt exactly as it was before. More renovations happened in the 21st century. Earlier renovations showed the original floor was made of limestone rubble.
Special Listed Structures
The church itself is a 'Grade I listed' building. This means it's very important. But there are two other structures in the churchyard that are also listed. They are listed with Historic England.
- The gate piers (posts) at the churchyard entrance. They are from 1698.
- The churchyard cross.
Also, the churchyard is registered with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. This means it has graves of soldiers from the Commonwealth who died in wars.
