Church of St Luke, Sheen, Staffordshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Luke, Sheen |
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"Pevsner's last building"
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| OS grid reference | SK113615 |
| Location | Sheen, Staffordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Luke |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 1 February 1967 |
| Architect(s) | William Butterfield |
| Completed | C14th, with C19th reconstruction |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Alstonfield Deanery |
| Diocese | Diocese of Lichfield |
The Church of St Luke in Sheen, Staffordshire is an old and important Anglican church. It is considered a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very special historic place. The church was first built in the 1300s. However, it was mostly rebuilt in the mid-1800s. This work was first done by C. W. Burleigh, and then by a famous architect named William Butterfield.
This church and its nearby parsonage (the house where the church leader lives) were the very last buildings that Nikolaus Pevsner wrote about in his famous Buildings of England series. He finished this huge project in 1974 with his book about Staffordshire, after starting it way back in 1945.
History of the Church
The Church of St Luke was originally built in the 14th century, which means it's over 600 years old! In 1850, a big rebuilding project began. A local architect from Leeds, C. W. Burleigh, started the work.
However, a man named A. J. B. Beresford Hope soon stepped in. He was very interested in how the church was run and its style. He wanted the church to follow the ideas of the Tractarian movement, which focused on traditional church practices. Because of his involvement, William Butterfield, a well-known architect, took over the rebuilding.
In 1851, Beresford Hope appointed his friend Benjamin Webb to lead the church in Sheen. Webb didn't really want the job at first because the area was so remote. He left in 1862, and T. E. Heygate, who had been an assistant, took his place.
Pevsner's Special Visit
On October 6, 1970, a famous architectural historian named Nikolaus Pevsner visited the church. He was with a journalist, Geoffrey Moorhouse. Pevsner had started his massive Buildings of England book series in 1945. The first book, Cornwall, came out in 1951. By the time he reached Sheen, he had already written 45 books!
His visit to Sheen was to complete the very last book in the series, which was about Staffordshire. Moorhouse wrote about this special visit in an article called "Pevsner's Last Building," published in The Observer newspaper on October 10, 1970. Pevsner himself wrote about his thoughts on Butterfield's parsonage and Victorian architecture in his notes about Sheen.
Today, the Church of St Luke is still an active church. It is part of the Diocese of Lichfield.
Church Design and Look
The Church of St Luke is built from coursed stone, which means the stones are laid in even layers. It has a main tower with a pointed, pyramidal roof. The church also includes a nave (the main part where people sit), a chancel (the area around the altar), a vestry (a room for clergy and church items), and a porch.
The overall style of the church is called "Pointed Gothic". This means it has features like pointed arches and tall windows, typical of churches built in the Middle Ages.
The church is a Grade II* listed building, meaning it's a very important historical and architectural site. The parsonage next to the church is also Grade II* listed. Pevsner described the parsonage as "personal and forceful" in its design. When Pevsner and Moorhouse visited, the parsonage was empty and boarded up. However, it has since been fixed up and restored.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Staffordshire Moorlands
- Listed buildings in Sheen, Staffordshire
