Church of the Holy Cross, Avening facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of the Holy Cross |
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed building |
| Designated | 6 September 1954 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Avening |
| Diocese | Gloucester |
| Province | Canterbury |
The Church of the Holy Cross is an old church in a village called Avening, which is in Gloucestershire, England. It was built a very long time ago, in the late 1000s! This church is so special and old that it's officially protected as a Grade I listed building, meaning it's a really important historical place.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's Story
Right outside the church, you can see a stone coffin. It's even older than the church itself, dating back to before the Norman Conquest in 1066!
Who Built It?
Parts of the church were built in the late 11th century, around the years 1070-1099. It was ordered by Queen Matilda of Flanders. She was the wife of William the Conqueror, who became King of England after the Norman Conquest.
How It Grew Over Time
The church wasn't built all at once. Different parts were added over many years:
- In the 12th century (1100s), the tower, a part of the chancel (the area around the altar), the north aisle (a side section), and the north doorway were added.
- The transepts (the parts that stick out like arms of a cross) were built in the late 13th century (late 1200s).
- The very top part of the tower was added in the 14th century (1300s).
Who Owned the Church?
For a long time, from the 11th to the 14th century, the church belonged to a big religious house called the Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, Caen in France. However, another English abbey, Tewkesbury Abbey, also claimed ownership.
A Big Repair Job
In 1902, the church needed a lot of work. Part of its tower had fallen down! This caused damage to the nave (the main part of the church) and the north aisle. So, the whole building had to be carefully repaired and restored.
Inside and Out: The Church's Design
The Church of the Holy Cross is built from Cotswold stone, which is a type of local rock. If you look at it from above, it has a cruciform shape, meaning it looks like a cross.
Key Features
- It has a north aisle with a porch.
- The nave, which is the main part where people sit, has a special ceiling called a 14th-century wagon roof. It looks like the inside of a covered wagon.
- You can still see parts of the original Norman architecture from the 11th century. This includes the doorway, an arcade (a row of arches), and the chancel arch (the arch leading to the altar area).
- The tower has three sections and is held up by strong buttresses, which are supports built into the walls.
What's Inside?
When you go inside, you'll find some interesting things:
- There's a table from the year 1657.
- You can see several monuments and special stone tablets.
- There's also a kneeling statue of a person named Henry Brydges, who lived at Avening Court.
- The beautiful stained glass in the East Window was made by artists called Clayton and Bell. Two other stained glass windows in the nave were created by Christopher Whall.
Remembering Heroes
There is a special tablet inside the church that acts as a war memorial. It remembers the people from the village who sadly died in the First World War, the Second World War, and the Iraq War.
