Church of St Mary of the Purification, Blidworth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary of the Purification, Blidworth
With 1963 model of the earlier church
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Broad Church
History
Dedication	St Mary
Administration
Parish	Blidworth
Diocese	Southwell and Nottingham
Province	York

The Church of St Mary of the Purification is a special church in Blidworth, Nottinghamshire. It belongs to the Church of England. Parts of this church are very old, going back to the 15th century! It's also a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important historical building.

Discover St Mary's Church

A Mix of Old and New

The church you see today is a mix of old and new. Only the tall west tower is left from the original church built in the 1400s. The rest of the church was rebuilt much later, in 1739 and again in 1839. The walls are made of ashlar, which means carefully cut stone blocks, and the roof is made of lead.

In the churchyard, there's a cool model from 1963 that shows what the older church might have looked like. The clock tower has two clocks, one facing west and one facing east. This way, people coming from either direction along Main Street can easily see the time!

A Famous Burial: Will Scarlet

Did you know that this church is believed to be the burial place of Will Scarlet? He was one of Robin Hood's Merry Men! Even though the exact spot isn't known, a piece of the older church now serves as a memorial to him.

The Unique Rocking Ceremony

The Church of St Mary of the Purification is famous for a very special tradition called the "Rocking Ceremony." It's the only church known to still do this!

What is the Rocking Ceremony?

Every year, a baby boy who was born closest to Christmas Day gets "rocked" in a cradle. To be chosen, the baby must have married, Christian parents who live in Blidworth. This ceremony happens on the Sunday nearest to Candlemas, which is the Feast of the Purification of Mary.

The ceremony acts out a story from the Bible. It shows Jesus being presented at a temple when he was a baby. People think this tradition started way back in the 13th century. It was stopped for a while in the 1600s.

A Tradition Revived

The custom was brought back in 1842 by the vicar, John Lowndes, but then it stopped again. It was revived once more in 1922, and they've been using the same cradle ever since!

All the babies who have been part of the Rocking Ceremony have their names written on a special plaque at the back of St Mary's Church. It includes their full name and the year they were "rocked." In 2010, a sculpture of a cradle was made to celebrate this unique tradition.

Images for kids

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  West clock face viewed along Main Street

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  Will Scarlet grave marker

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  Part of the walls of the earlier church re-erected in the graveyard