Church of St Simon and St Jude, Castlethorpe facts for kids
The Church of St Simon and St Jude is a very old church in Castlethorpe, a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It was built in the late 1100s, which makes it over 800 years old! This church is a special parish church and was once connected to a larger church in Hanslope. One of its most interesting features is its Norman font, which is a large stone basin used for baptisms. It has cool carved figures on its corners. Because of its age and importance, the church was named a Grade I listed building in 1966. This means it's considered a very important historic building.
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History of the Church
The church celebrates its special day, called a dedication feast, on the Sunday after the festival of Saints Simon and Jude. These are two important saints. However, in some old documents, the church was actually called "the church of Our Lady of Castlethorpe." This shows that its name has changed over time.
Church Design and Features
This historic church stands on a small hill, just a bit east of where an old castle keep used to be. You can still see the high bank of land near the churchyard. The church has several main parts:
- The chancel: This is the area around the altar.
- The nave: This is the main part where people sit.
- North and south aisles: These are the side sections next to the nave.
- A tower: This is at the west end of the church.
The Tower's Story
The church tower was originally quite tall, about 71 feet high! But sadly, in 1729, the roof timbers got damaged by rain and the tower fell down. When it was rebuilt, it was made much shorter, about 30 feet lower than before. It used to have three bells, but after the collapse, only one was put back. The largest bell, which was broken, and the third bell were sold to help pay for rebuilding the tower.
The roofs over the nave and aisles are covered with lead. The chancel roof is newer and covered with slate. The main way to enter the church is through the tower at the west end.
The main part of the church, the nave, has arches and pillars that are very old. They show a style called Early English, which is quite similar to the older Norman style. Two arches on each side separate the nave from the side aisles. On the south side, these arches are supported by an eight-sided pillar. On the north side, they rest on a large, round pillar with carved leaf designs.
The south aisle has three decorated windows, each with three sections, letting in lots of light. One of these is at the very east end of the aisle. The north aisle has two newer windows. The upper part of the nave, called the clerestory, has three windows on the south side, but none on the north.
Special Furniture and Carvings
The pulpit, where the priest gives sermons, is square and made of oak. It looks like it's from the time of King James I. The seats in the church are open and made of deal wood. All the roofs inside the church are covered with plaster.
At the east end of the north aisle, you can still see the steps that once led up to a rood loft. A rood loft was a gallery above the entrance to the chancel, often holding a large cross (or "rood"). These steps are still in good condition.
In the chancel, on the south side, there's a special seat called a sedile, which has two stalls under curved arches. There's also a piscina, which is a stone basin used for washing sacred vessels.
The font, used for baptisms, is very large and has eight sides. It has two carved human heads attached to two of its western corners, making it quite unique. The arch leading into the chancel is pointed, and the chancel itself is quite spacious.
Windows and Memorials
The large east window is a beautiful example of the Decorated style. It has three sections and is a memorial to Caroline Walpole, who passed away in 1899.
Inside the area around the altar, there are three flat stone slabs on the floor. These are memorials to members of the Tyrrell family. On the north side of the chancel, there's a grand monument dedicated to Sir Thomas Tyrrell, who died in 1671, and his wife, Bridget. This monument is made of marble and has two black marble pillars supporting a richly decorated top. On a black stone slab, between the pillars, are full-size statues of Sir Thomas, dressed as a judge, resting on cushions. His head is on the lap of a woman, who sits in a thoughtful pose. This monument was built by his widow, Dame Bridget Tyrrell. It also mentions that Sir Thomas gave £10 every year to help the poor people of Castlethorpe. There are also other memorials in the church for the Kitelee family.
