Church of St John the Baptist, Royston, Hertfordshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Parish Church of St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas of Canterbury |
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St. John the Baptist, Royston
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | roystonparishchurch.org.uk |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed building |
| Designated | 14 June 1964 |
| Years built | c1250-1981 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Buntingford |
| Archdeaconry | Hertford |
| Diocese | St Albans (since 1877) |
| Province | Canterbury |
The Church of St John the Baptist is an old and important church in the town of Royston, Hertfordshire, England. It is a special place where people have gathered for hundreds of years. This church is part of the Church of England, which is the main Christian church in England.
History of the Church
The main parts of the church, like the nave and aisles, were built a very long time ago. This was around the year 1250. These sections were originally part of a much larger church. That bigger church belonged to a group of monks called the Augustinians. They had a special place called the Priory of Royston.
Later, during a time called the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the church changed. It stopped being a priory church and became a parish church. This meant it served the local community of Royston.
The Fire and the Bells
On December 9, 2018, the church had a big fire. This fire caused a lot of damage to the building. The heat from the fire was so intense that it cracked all eight bells in the church tower. Three of these bells were very old, dating back to 1739.
Even though the bells were damaged, the original bell-frame from 1901 survived the fire. In 2020, new bells were made by a company called John Taylor & Co. These new bells were then hung in the old bell-frame. This means the church still has its beautiful bells ringing today.
