Collegiate and Parochial Church of St Peter, Ruthin facts for kids
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The Collegiate and Parochial Church of St Peter is a special Anglican church in Ruthin, an old market town in Denbighshire, north east Wales. It's a very important church in its area and is a Grade I listed building, which means it's historically very significant.
Contents
Church History
Early Days of St Peter's Church
Christianity started growing in the Vale of Clwyd a long time ago, even before the 10th century. Many Celtic saints set up small religious communities there. One saint, Meugan, started a community in the area of Llanrhydd. This community grew to become the main church for the whole area, including Ruthin. We know St. Meugan's church was important because it was mentioned in records from 1254. It was even damaged during wars and received money from the King to fix it. The original church building is about 1.5 miles south-east of Ruthin.
In 1282, King Edward I took control of Wales. This was the beginning of St. Meugan's church becoming less dominant. King Edward gave the area of Dyffryn Clwyd to his friend Reginald de Grey. De Grey finished building Ruthin Castle, which had started in 1277, and in 1282 he made Ruthin a special town with its own rules.
When Reginald de Grey died in 1308, his son John became the lord of Ruthin. John was very important for St. Peter's Church.
A Church for the Town
In 1310, John de Grey built a new place of worship called Capella St. Petri (St. Peter's Chapel) for the people of Ruthin. He made it a "collegiate church." This means it was run by a group of priests, called a collegium, instead of just one. There were seven priests, known as the Bonshommes. They followed the rules of the Augustinian canons. This "order" of priests only had three houses in England and Wales, and Ruthin was the only one in Wales!
During the difficult 15th century, the collegiate church continued to serve the community. However, it was damaged during the Owain Glyndŵr uprising. The town of Ruthin was attacked on September 16, 1400, and again in 1402. The 3rd Lord de Grey was even captured by Glyndŵr and had to be ransomed.
In 1508, the 6th Lord de Grey of Ruthin sold the lordship to King Henry VII. The de Grey family had become poor, mostly because of the high ransom they paid for the 3rd Lord in 1402.
Changes and Restorations
The church building has changed a lot since it was first built. A big restoration happened between 1854 and 1859. This is when its famous spire was added. It's the only spire in the whole Vale of Clwyd! Inside, St Peter's looks unusual because it has two main sections (called naves) side by side, separated by pillars.
This double-nave design happened in the late 14th century when the original church was doubled in size. This style is not common in most of Britain, but it was very popular in the Vale of Clwyd. Now, there are at least 21 churches with this double-nave style in the area.
Both naves have amazing wooden roofs from the early Tudor period (around 1500–1540). The northern nave roof is especially fancy. It has decorated beams and over 400 carved panels with all sorts of designs, flowers, and family symbols. The southern roof, built later, is simpler. It has plain panels but decorated bosses (carved decorations where beams meet).
Dean Gabriel Goodman's Legacy
In 1589–90, Dean Gabriel Goodman bought the church and its lands. He restarted the church's leadership and helped build almshouses for twelve people, including two women. Almshouses were homes for poor or elderly people. Earlier, in 1574, Dean Goodman had also restarted Ruthin School. He became a major helper for the town, making Ruthin an important religious and educational center in North Wales.
In 1683, a large bell for Ruthin Church was made. This shows that the church tower was strong enough to hold a big bell. A smaller bell had been used since the Middle Ages to ring the night curfew for the townspeople.
After 1663, the church didn't get much care. In 1714, a royal order was issued to make urgent repairs, costing a lot of money. The church must have stayed in bad shape because in 1720-21, the Myddletons of Chirk Castle, who were the local lords, paid for more repairs to the stone, windows, and wood.
It seems the 1714 repairs were not finished. In 1754, another order was issued, saying the church had "become so ruined and dangerous." This order is now in the British Museum.
In 1720, the Myddletons also paid for the beautiful wrought-iron gates of the churchyard. These gates were made by the Davies brothers of Bersham in 1727. The Davies brothers also made gates for Chirk Castle and Wrexham Parish Church. These gates made the church look even better and showed off amazing metalwork.
In 1804, Rev. Richard Newcome became the warden. During his 47 years in Ruthin, he made changes to the church, the town, and the castle. He also wrote about Gabriel Goodman.
A terrible fire happened on April 6, 1904. It damaged the vestry and its roof. An old brass alms dish, prayer books, and robes were lost.
On March 31, 1920, because of a new law, the churches in Wales became separate from the Church of England. This created the Church in Wales with its own archbishop.
In 1949, an electric clock was put on the church spire. It cost £896 and was a memorial to those who died in World War Two.
On May 16, 1976, the local branch of British Legion placed its flag in the church for safekeeping. Also, the flag of the Royal Air Forces Association was placed in the church "forevermore" on September 29, 1991.
Among the many memorials inside the church are two special brass plaques on the north nave wall. These are very rare in Wales. One shows Edward Goodman, a cloth merchant who died in 1560, wearing his robes as mayor of Ruthin. What's unusual is that he appears again on a second plaque with his wife (he lived to be 84, she 90) and their eight children. Their second son was Gabriel Goodman, who is also remembered by a painted bust near the altar. He was a very important church leader, a chaplain to Queen Elizabeth’s chief minister William Cecil, and dean of Westminster. Goodman also helped pay for the Welsh translation of the Bible.
Behind the church are other historic buildings connected to the church and Gabriel Goodman.
Church Close Buildings
Behind St Peter's Church, there's a lovely group of buildings that feel like a small cathedral area.
The Almshouses
The rules for Christ's Hospital (the almshouses) were written by Dean Gabriel Goodman in 1590. A copy of these rules is still kept by the Warden. The rules said there should be a bishop as president, a warden who was a preacher, and 12 poor people (10 men and 2 women). The men and women had to be at least 50 years old and unmarried when they joined, and they had to stay unmarried to keep their place. The two women were supposed to wash clothes and look after the sick people in the hospital. The poor people were once known as the "Goodman Pensioners."
The twelve almshouses were built for these poor people, and the Warden lived in the Old Cloisters. In 1863, new rules were made for Christ's Hospital. The almshouses were ordered to be rebuilt, which happened in 1865.
The buildings were updated in 1865 and 1974. Now they offer comfortable one-bedroom homes. The rules are much more relaxed, and married couples can live there now.
The Warden was in charge of the hospital and was also the priest at St Peter's Church. He even had to keep three or four cows, milk them himself, and share the milk with the residents! The residents had to wake up early (6 a.m. in summer, 7 a.m. in winter) and go to bed by 9 p.m. (8 p.m. in winter). They were not allowed to go to pubs, beg, or have lodgers. If they damaged hospital property, they had to pay for it from their allowance.
The Old Cloisters
This building was part of the original collegiate church founded in 1310. It's a two-story building connected to St. Peter's. It used to be where the priests who served the church lived and worked before the Reformation (a big change in the church). After Dean Goodman bought the church lands in 1589-90, it became the home of the Wardens of Ruthin until a new Cloisters building was built in 1954.
You can see the different changes and additions made to the building over the years. The neat brick part at the north end was added in the early 16th century and is now where the Choirmaster lives. The top floor of the Old Cloisters has been turned into a Masonic Temple. The ground floor is used as a Parish room and music rooms for the church choir.
The Old Grammar School and Headmaster's House
The stone building you see today was built in 1700 using donations. It stands where the first school room was.
The brick building next to the Grammar School was built in 1742. It was used as dormitories for students and a house for the Headmaster. The Old Grammar School and Headmaster's house were sold in 1903 and 1994, and they have since been turned into flats.
Church Gates
Quick facts for kids Churchyard Gates |
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Location | Churchyard, Ruthin, Denbighshire |
| Town or city | Ruthin |
| Country | Wales |
| References | |
| Cadw 906 | |
These beautiful wrought iron gates are also a Grade II listed building, meaning they are historically important. They were made in 1727 by Robert Davies of Bersham. The Myddletons of Chirk Castle gave them to the church. They are located on the north side of St Peter's Square and form the main entrance to the church.
