Church of St Mary the Virgin, Beighton facts for kids
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a very old church located in Beighton, a part of Sheffield, England. You can find it just off High Street. This church is the main one for the Beighton area. It's also a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a really important historical place. The first church here was built around the 1100s, but none of that original building remains today. However, some parts you see were built in the Middle Ages. The church is named after Mary, who was the mother of Jesus.
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History of the Church
Beighton was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. This was a big survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror. But the book didn't mention a church in Beighton at that time. People think St. Mary's Church was first built around 1150. This idea comes from finding an old, round arch from the Norman period. This arch was found during repairs in the late 1800s.
The first time the church was written about was in a document from the time of King Edward I (1272-1307). Back then, the church was dedicated to Saint Radegund. She was a queen from a place called Thuringia. We don't know exactly when the church's name changed to St Mary. Even in 1557, people still talked about "the churchyard of Virgin Radegund at Beghton."
Building Changes Over Time
The oldest part of the church you can see today is probably the tower arch. It might be from the 1200s. The north side of the church, called the north aisle, was built in the 1400s. There was likely a special chapel there for prayers.
Towards the end of the 1300s, the church was rebuilt and changed a lot. A pointed arch was added to the chancel (the area near the altar). New arches were also added to the nave (the main part of the church where people sit). More repairs happened in 1773.
By the 1860s, the church was in bad shape. A new minister, Reverend George Antrobus, hired an architect named Samuel Rollinson. He oversaw a huge project to rebuild and fix up the church. This work took place from 1867 to 1868.
Major Renovations in the 1800s
During these big renovations, the walls of the chancel and the south aisle were taken down. They were then rebuilt in the same spot. The windows high up in the nave, called clerestory windows, were removed. A balcony at the back of the church was also taken down.
The old box pews (which were like private boxes) were replaced with new bench pews. This change allowed more people to sit in the church, increasing its capacity to 291.
Interesting Features of the Church
The north door of the church is sometimes called the "Devil's door". It was once blocked up, but then opened again. In the past, this door was left a little open during baptisms. People believed it would let out any evil spirits from the child.
On the north side of the chancel, there are two old gravestones. One of them is for the Jermyns, a rich family who owned land nearby.
You can also see a Hagioscope or "squint" cut into the wall. This is a small hole between the chancel and the nave. It allowed people to see what the priest was doing, even if they were in a part of the church where their view was blocked.
Two special metal plaques, called brasses, are on the south wall of the nave. They mark the resting places of William Jessoppe, who was a vicar (a type of minister) of Beighton and died in 1667. The other is for Robert Jessoppe, who died in 1753. The rood (a cross or crucifix) in the church was designed by a famous artist named Ninian Comper.
Recent Discoveries
In 2006, experts were hired to watch for anything interesting during church renovations. They were replacing the drainage system outside. They didn't find anything from the original medieval church. However, they did find something cool: an old stone floor! This floor was last seen in 1816 and was buried during the 1867 renovations. It's thought to be from the early 1500s.
Images for kids
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The Church of St Mary the Virgin in Beighton, Sheffield.
