Church of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holy Trinity Church |
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The church
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| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| Website | www.stratford-upon-avon.org/ |
| History | |
| Dedication | Holy Trinity |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Stratford-upon-Avon |
| Diocese | Coventry |
| Province | Canterbury |
Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, is a very old and famous church. It is often called Shakespeare's Church. This is because William Shakespeare, the famous writer, was baptized, married, and buried here. Over 200,000 people visit the church every year. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it is a very important historic place.
Contents
History of the Church
The church building you see today dates back to 1210. It was built on the site of an even older Saxon monastery. This makes it the oldest building in Stratford-upon-Avon. It sits right by the River Avon.
In the 1300s, a special chapel was added by John de Stratford. This chapel was rebuilt between 1465 and 1497 by Dean Thomas Balshall. He was buried at the church. The church used to have a wooden spire, which is the tall, pointed part of the roof. This was replaced in 1763.
Holy Trinity Church has many cool and old features:
- A special metal ring on the door, called a sanctuary knocker, from the 1300s. It's in the church's entrance porch.
- The Clopton chantry chapel from the 1400s.
- Twenty-six special seats in the main part of the church. These seats have interesting carvings from the 1400s. The carvings show religious, everyday, and mythical scenes.
- Large stained glass windows at the front and back of the church. They show important English and Biblical saints.
- The "American window" in St Peter's Chapel. It was put in place in 1896. It says, "The Gift of America to Shakespeare's Church."
- Copies of the church records that show William Shakespeare's baptism and burial.
Some of the old carvings of Christ around Balshall's tomb were damaged during the Protestant Reformation. This was a time when many religious images were changed or removed. But some amazing parts survived. These include a face of Christ or God the Father and beautiful medieval stained glass. This glass shows the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. It also shows the Day of Pentecost. An old stone altar slab was found hidden under the floor. It has now been put back as the main altar.
The Church Organ
The church has a large pipe organ with three keyboards. It was built in 1841. The organ has been repaired and updated several times. It is now split into two parts. One part is high on the wall, and the other is on the ground level. The organ case was designed by famous architects.
Organists of the Church
Many talented musicians have played the organ at Holy Trinity Church. Here are some of the main organists:
- C. J. Read, until 1847
- John Roberts Boulcott, from 1847
- Henry Mathews, from 1858
- James Henry Caseley, from 1865
- George Frost Bloomer, from 1895
- Dr Williamson John Reynolds, from 1920
- William Wells Hewitt, from 1926
- John Stuart Brough, from 1933
- John Cook, from 1949
- John Strickson, from 1954
- Peter Summers, from 1979
- Andrew Jones, from 2006
- Andrew Henderson, from 2012
- Clive Letchford, from 2012
- Benedict Wilson, from 2013
- Stephen Dodsworth, from 2019
- Douglas Keilitz, from 2020 to today
Visiting the Church
Holy Trinity Church is open to visitors for most of the year. You can pay a small fee to see the area where Shakespeare is buried. The church is part of the Greater Churches Group. This group includes large and important parish churches.
In 2006, the Royal Shakespeare Company performed a play called Henry VIII in the church. This was part of a special festival. The church is still an active place of worship today. It serves about 17,000 people who live in the area. You can also see a stone monument from 1858. It remembers William Cheshire, a printer and botanist.
William Shakespeare's Connection
William Shakespeare, the famous poet and playwright, has a very strong connection to Holy Trinity Church. He was baptized here on April 26, 1564. He was also buried here on April 25, 1616. The church still has the original old records that show his baptism and burial. These records are kept safe by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Shakespeare is buried in the main part of the church, which was built in the 1400s. He was allowed to be buried there because he had a special role as a "lay rector" of the church. This meant he leased some church income. His Shakespeare's funerary monument is on a wall right next to his grave. This monument was fixed up in 1746. The money came from a performance of Shakespeare's play Othello. This was the first time a Shakespeare play was performed in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Shakespeare would have visited Holy Trinity Church every week when he was living in Stratford. This includes his childhood and when he returned later in life. His wife, Anne Hathaway, is buried next to him. His oldest daughter, Susanna, is also buried nearby.
A month before Shakespeare died, his son-in-law, Thomas Quiney, had a family matter that involved the church court. Shakespeare died soon after. His funeral and burial were held at Holy Trinity Church on April 25, 1616.
Above Shakespeare's grave, there is an old stone slab with a message. It is called his epitaph:
Good frend for Iesvs sake forbeare,
to digg the dvst encloased heare.
Bleste be ye man yt spares thes stones,
and cvrst be he yt moves my bones.
This warning is believed to have stopped people from moving Shakespeare's body. It also prevented his body from being dug up for study.
Shakespeare's wife Anne's grave is next to his. Her inscription says she died on August 6, 1623, at 67 years old.
New Extension
In January 2015, the church got permission to build an extension. This new part is next to the south side of the church. It provides a new vestry (a room for priests), toilets, and storage space. Construction started in 2015 and the extension opened on April 17, 2016. It was designed by Stephen Oliver Architecture and built using local limestone. A stained-glass window that was hidden by the organ has now been moved into this new extension.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad de Stratford-upon-Avon para niños
