Church of St John the Baptist, Royston, South Yorkshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St John the Baptist, Royston |
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 Church of St John the Baptist, Royston
Location in South Yorkshire
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| 53°35′47.4″N 1°27′4.1″W / 53.596500°N 1.451139°W | |
| OS grid reference | SE 36423 11243 |
| Location | Royston |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo Catholic |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Royston |
| Benefice | Royston and Felkirk |
| Deanery | Barnsley |
| Archdeaconry | Pontefract |
| Episcopal area | Wakefield |
| Diocese | Leeds |
| Province | York |
The Church of St John the Baptist is a very old church in Royston, South Yorkshire, England. It's part of the Church of England and belongs to the Diocese of Leeds. This amazing building was first built in the 1100s and is considered a 'Grade I listed' building. This means it's a super important historical building!
Contents
About St John the Baptist Church
Early Days and Building History
Monks from a nearby place called Monk Bretton Priory built this church. The current building dates back to before the year 1234. However, the monks stopped being involved when their Priory was taken by the King in 1539.
There might have been an even older Anglo-Saxon church here. We know this because some very old foundations were found. Also, a piece of an Anglo-Saxon cross was discovered. You can see it now near the main altar.
The oldest part of the church is likely the eastern end of the Chancel. Its walls were described as "newly built" in 1240. The Chancel is the area around the altar.
Changes Over the Centuries
The church has been changed and added to many times. Around 1340, the East window got new, fancy stone patterns called "tracery." The Sacristy doorway also got a special "ogee" (onion-shaped) arch. The Sacristy is a room where church items are kept.
The North Aisle, which is a side section, has windows from the early 1300s. The main part of the church, called the Nave, was rebuilt in the 1400s. This included adding a "clerestory" (a row of windows high up) and a magnificent roof.
The Great West Tower was built in the 1480s. It has strong diagonal supports called "buttresses." The top has a "crenellated parapet" (like castle battlements) and pointy decorations called "crocketted pinnacles." What's really unusual is its "Oriel Window" at the bell-ringing level. This window sticks out from the wall.
Modern Updates
A new clock was put in the tower in 1898. This was to celebrate Queen Victoria's 60 years as queen. The clock faces were fixed up in the 1970s.
The church had a big restoration from 1867 to 1869 by J. L. Pearson. A drawing from 1818 shows what it looked like before this work. This drawing is on display inside the church.
In the 1980s, the Chancel area was changed again. During this work, an old Altar Stone was found buried in the floor. It was restored and now sits on a base made from stones. These stones came from Monk Bretton Priory, a shrine in France, and an old school. The main altar also holds a small piece of a saint named St. Justin, who died in 165 AD.
On the Altar, there is a special box called a Tabernacle. It holds the Blessed Sacrament. A white light burning above it reminds people that Jesus Christ is present there.
Inside the Church
West End and Bells
The west end of the church was completely updated in 2001-2002. It now has a small porch and a toilet, with a spacious gallery above. A screen from 1959 was repurposed as a door. This door has shields representing different church areas.
The Tower holds eight bells. Six of them were recast after the Second World War in 1946. Two more were added in 1979. The oldest bell, called the Sanctus Bell, is from around 1530! Sadly, the tower is not open to visitors.
Font and Roofs
The Font, used for baptisms, is probably from the late 1400s. Its beautiful cover was added in the early 1900s. The Font was moved to its current spot in 2002.
All the church roofs are medieval (from the Middle Ages). The roofs in the Nave and Aisles have finely carved "bosses." These are decorative carvings where beams meet. They show things like the Head of St. John the Baptist, a lamb (Agnus Dei), a pelican feeding its young, and other interesting symbols. One carving even shows a man with donkey ears!
The brown stain on the roof was added in the 1800s. It might hide the original medieval colors. The whole inside of the church used to be plastered and painted. The plaster was removed from the walls in the 1800s. You can still see pieces of painted texts from the 1500s and 1600s on the Nave walls.
Special Features and Art
A large wooden beam, called the Rood Beam, supports carvings of Jesus on the Cross, with Mary and St. John. These carvings were made in the 1930s. They were brought to this church in the 1980s from another church.
Steps leading to the original Rood Loft still exist. The Rood Loft was a balcony that stretched across the church. The floor level was lowered in the 1800s, which is why the steps seem to start high up. Some original oak screens from the medieval period are still here.
During the 1800s restoration, a large gallery at the west end of the Nave was removed. A door on the northwest side was also blocked up and replaced with a window.
A statue of St. John the Baptist, the church's patron saint, was made in 1993 by a local artist. The "Stations of the Cross" are paintings around the Aisle walls. They are very striking and were painted in the 1980s.
Outside Discoveries
In 1983, during excavations on the north side of the church, some interesting things were found. Pieces of carved stone were reused in the church's foundations from the 1300s and 1400s. This included part of an arch and half of an old grave cover. In 2009, when the South Nave floor was relaid, it was found that at least one pillar is supported by a large, reused carved stone.
Stained Glass Windows
The beautiful stained glass windows are mostly from the Victorian era (1800s). However, there are small pieces of medieval glass in some windows. Some of these date back to the 1300s and 1400s. There's even one surviving head from medieval glass that wasn't destroyed by people who broke religious images.
The large East window, made in 1885, shows scenes from the life of Jesus. The upper parts of the Lady Chapel East window show the Annunciation (when an angel told Mary she would have Jesus). These are from around 1904. The lower part of this window is much newer, from 2002.
Other windows in the South Aisle were made by different artists. The West window, from 1871, and the next window in the North Aisle were made by William Wailes. The last window in the North Aisle was recently restored after being badly damaged.
