Rotherham Minster facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Rotherham Minster
Minster Church of All Saints
Rotherham Minster from the south-west
Rotherham Minster Location in South Yorkshire
53°25′52″N 1°21′25″W / 53.4310°N 1.3569°W / 53.4310; -1.3569
OS grid reference	SK428928
Location	Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Broad Church
Website	www.rotherhamminster.co.uk
History
Founded	937
Dedication	All Saints
Architecture
Style	Decorated Gothic, Perpendicular Gothic
Years built	c. 1400–1512
Specifications
Spire height	180 feet (55 m)
Bells	12+ semitone
Tenor bell weight	34 long cwt 3 qr 0 lb (1,765 kg or 3,892 lb)
Administration
Parish	Rotherham
Archdeaconry	Sheffield and Rotherham
Diocese	Sheffield
Province	York

The Minster Church of All Saints, often called Rotherham Minster, is a very old church in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. It's an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England.

This church is a great example of Perpendicular Gothic architecture. Many experts say it's one of the best churches in Yorkshire. Its tall spire is a famous landmark in Rotherham. It's also one of the tallest churches in the area.

Since 1951, the church has been a Grade I listed building. This means it's a very important historic place. In 2004, it was given "Minster" status. This special title is only given to important churches. Rotherham Minster is one of only two parish churches in South Yorkshire with this status.

History of Rotherham Minster

Early Churches: Saxon and Norman Times

Rotherham was an important place even in Saxon times. It had a church, a market, and a fair before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Domesday Book of 1086 mentions a church here. This was even though the town only had about twelve families living there.

A small Saxon church stood on this spot first. Then, in the 12th century, a much bigger Norman church was built. It was made from local red sandstone. This Norman church had a cross shape. It had a chancel (the area around the altar), a nave (where people sit), transepts (the arms of the cross shape), and a low central tower. We don't know much about these early churches. But you can still see where the old Norman roof used to be on the western tower arch.

Building the Gothic Church

From the 14th to the 15th centuries, monks from Rufford Abbey and Clairvaux Abbey took control of the church. They started rebuilding it in the beautiful Gothic style. They began with the chancel.

The chancel was first rebuilt in the early 14th century. It had only one level. In 1409, the church got permission to raise money to fix and make the tower taller. This work took a while. The tower's ceiling was not finished until 1420.

Building the new central tower and spire was tricky. The Gothic builders used the old Norman foundations. But these were not perfectly straight with the new parts of the church. So, the builders added carved leaves to hide the uneven parts.

Most of the church was built between 1480 and 1512. This included the 'Jesus Chapel', built by Thomas Rotherham. He was an Archbishop of York who was born in Rotherham. The nave, transepts, and aisles were also built then. The chancel was made taller with a new roof. By 1512, the church looked much like it does today. It had a nave and chancel with aisles, transepts, and a central tower with a spire.

Changes from the 17th to 19th Centuries

During the English Civil War, Rotherham was taken by Royalist soldiers. In 1643, a minister named John Shaw had to hide in the Minster's tower. This happened when Royalist forces attacked during his sermon. Bullet holes found later suggest they tried to get him out. He then escaped to Kingston upon Hull.

In the 18th century, big changes happened inside the Minster. Galleries (like balconies) were added around the walls. Tall, private "horse-box" pews were put in the nave. The pulpit (where sermons are given) was placed under the tower arch. An organ was added in 1777. It was moved to the north transept in 1843.

A major restoration of the whole building happened from 1873 to 1875. This work was led by George Gilbert Scott. He had the galleries and old pews removed. The stone was cleaned and fixed. The roofs were repaired. During this work, they found signs of old fires and bullet holes from the Civil War. The south transept roof needed extra work. It was repaired using pine wood, which resists insects. The large Great East Window was a gift from the Earl and Countess of Effingham. A new font was made to remember the vicar, William Newton, who died during the restoration. The old Norman font was moved to a chapel. Scott decided to keep the old medieval misericords (small ledges on choir stalls) and choir stalls. He knew they were important. A new brass eagle lectern (a stand for reading) was made to celebrate the end of the restoration.

Modern History of the Minster

The Jesus Chapel was restored in 1921. This was done to remember the people of Rotherham who died in the First World War. A new window was also put in.

In 1932, the north side of the churchyard was flattened to create 'All Saints Square'. Before this, over 500 burials were found in the area. These were moved to Moorgate Cemetery. The carved bosses (decorations) on the nave roof were fixed in 1976.

A big restoration of the Minster started in 2001. It cost almost £2.25 million. The whole building was covered in scaffolding in stages. They fixed battlements, windows, and the chancel roof. They also cleaned the stone inside, added a new kitchen, and a new lighting system. The clock faces were also restored.

In 2010, a check showed that the spire needed major repairs. It had big holes, and the metal bars inside were rusting. The stone was crumbling, and the spire was starting to lean. From late 2010, the spire was covered in scaffolding. The top 33 feet (10 m) were taken down and rebuilt. New metal bars were used that won't rust. The project finished in December 2011.

Another project started in 2021 to fix the Great West Window. It needs over £300,000. The Minster got £25,000 from a special fund in 2021. This allowed the first part of the work to begin. The stained glass in this window is from 1884 and is at risk of falling apart. Scaffolding will be up for about 9 months.

Architecture of Rotherham Minster

Outside the Minster

Rotherham Minster is a "polished" example of Perpendicular Gothic style. The whole building looks very similar because most of it was built in the 15th and 16th centuries. It's a large, cross-shaped church made of sandstone. It has battlements (like castle walls), crocketted pinnacles (pointy decorations), big windows with traceried patterns, and buttresses (supports).

The most striking part is the tall central tower and spire. It rises 180 feet (55 m) high. A 7-foot tall weathervane sits on top. The Minster is lit up at night. It's a very large building, covering over 1,100 square meters.

Main Sides of the Church

The Minster has four main sides. The east and west sides have the Great East and Great West windows. The north and south sides run along the length of the building.

The west side has a large seven-light window in the middle. This window has horizontal bars called transoms. On each side are two smaller four-light windows. All these windows are in the Perpendicular Gothic style. Buttresses separate each window. The east side looks similar. It has a seven-light central window with smaller five-light windows next to it.

Nave and Chancel Areas

The Minster's nave is about 105 feet (32 m) long. It has four sections with aisles on the sides. On the south side, there's a gabled porch (an entrance area). Each section is separated by buttresses. These rise up to pinnacles above the battlements. The nave aisles have large four-light windows. Above these windows is the clerestory, which is a row of smaller windows. These clerestory windows are three-light designs, with two windows per section.

The chancel has two sections. It looks similar to the nave. But its clerestory is taller to make up for the slightly lower chancel aisles. The chancel aisles stop before the eastern end. Both end in chapels. Like the nave, each section has corner buttresses that rise to pinnacles.

Transepts (Arms of the Cross)

Each transept is 35 feet (11 m) long. The total length across the church, from one transept end to the other, is 100 feet (30 m). Each transept has two sections. There's a large six-light Perpendicular window at each end. Tall three-light windows are on the east and west sides, facing the aisles. There's a door below the south window, but not on the north transept. Each transept end has four-stage corner buttresses that rise to tall pinnacles. The transepts are a bit lower than the chancel and nave.

Central Tower and Spire

The central tower has two levels. The lower level is shorter and simply decorated. It has a window on each side. The upper level is taller and is the belfry (where the bells are). Each side of the belfry has two four-light openings with louvres (slats). This belfry level is very decorative. Each opening has pinnacled buttresses and transoms. The bottom half of each opening has fake panels. There's a large white clock face above each side. It's placed between the belfry openings and the battlements. Gargoyles (carved stone figures) are on each side of the clock.

The tower is topped by a tall, octagonal spire. It has ribbed patterns and pointy shafts that rise from the corners. A golden weather vane, about 7 feet (2.1 m) tall, sits at the very top.

Inside the Minster

The inside of the Minster feels big, bright, and open. The main aisle is tall and wide. It gets lots of light from many large windows. The arcade (a row of arches) makes up most of the nave's height. It's separated from the clerestory above by a narrow row of carved leaves. The nave's pillars are diamond-shaped. They have carved arches connecting them.

The chancel has two parts from different times. The lower part is from the early 14th century. The upper part and the main window are from the early 15th century. There are carved spaces next to the east window. This suggests that statues were there before the second level was built. The transepts are both lit by large windows. The north transept window has clear glass. There's a huge groined fan vault (a type of arched ceiling) under the tower. It dates from 1420 and is one of the earliest of its kind.

Stained Glass Windows

The Minster has almost forty windows. Many of them have beautiful stained glass. Important windows include the Great West Window, which has glass from 1884. The Great East Window is also by the same artists, Clayton & Bell. The South Transept window is also from the 19th century.

Ceilings and Vaults

One of the Minster's special features is the beautiful nave roof. It's from the 15th century and has 77 carved roof bosses. These were fixed in 1976. The chancel also has a nice early 16th-century roof with carvings. The bosses here show the Tudor rose. The roof of the Jesus Chapel is painted dark blue.

Underneath the central tower is a huge fan vault, built in 1420. When it was first built, the windows were higher than the church's arms. This let light into the central area. But after the church's arms were rebuilt, the windows are now below the roof level.

Church Fittings

Misericords and Choir Stalls

There are two old medieval misericords in the first section of the chancel. They are from 1483. Both have a carved man's head underneath a bracket. One has curly hair, and the other has horns. There are also several beautifully carved 15th-century pews in the chancel. Each has a carved "poppy head" on the end, telling the story of the birth of Jesus. New choir stalls were put under the tower in the early 21st century. They are traditional in style and made from light-colored limewood. This wood looks different from the darker old stalls in the chancel.

The Minster has two fonts (bowls for baptisms). One is a newer red sandstone font in the nave. It was made to remember Vicar William Newton. It has a fancy cover shaped like a church steeple. The original Norman font is the only main part left from the Norman building. It is now in the Jesus Chapel.

Other important fittings include a very detailed octagonal pulpit from 1604. It has a wine-glass shaped canopy. There's also a large brass lectern shaped like an eagle. This was given to celebrate the end of Scott's restoration.

Memorials and Important Graves

The Minster has many memorials and monuments. There's a memorial to Samuel Buck in the south transept. Across from it is a larger memorial called "Faith." This remembers 50 people who died in a boat accident in 1841. In the north chapel, there's a special tomb for Robert and Anne Swift. They were ancestors of Jonathan Swift, who wrote Gulliver's Travels.

There's a brass memorial to the people of Rotherham who died in the First World War. It's on the south wall. Above it is a statue of Saint George fighting the dragon. Other important memorials remember Robert Dyson and members of the York and Lancaster Regiment from the First World War.

Organ

Rotherham Minster has two organs, but only one works. The older, more famous organ is from 1777. It was made by John Snetzler and paid for by public donations. It originally had three keyboards and no foot pedals. It was first placed on a gallery above the chancel arch. In 1843, it was moved to the north transept and had a few parts added.

The organ was greatly rebuilt and made bigger in 1890. It had more work done in 1902 after water damage, and again in 1905 and 1950. In 1972, it was rebuilt again. Parts from another church's organ were added.

The Snetzler organ has not worked since the early 2010s. It needs a big restoration to play again. But its pipes and case are still visible in the north transept. In 2011, a digital organ replaced it. This is a Rodgers Trillium Masterpiece. It was bought from St Alban's Cathedral. It was adjusted to sound best in Rotherham Minster.

Bells

The first mention of bells here is from 1501. William Greyhern, who was in charge of the College of Jesus, left money to the four bells of Rotherham when he died. In 1704, the biggest of these four bells cracked and was remade. By 1752, there were six bells.

In 1812, there were eight bells. The heaviest bell weighed about 1,200 kg. Just eight years later, in 1820, this heavy bell cracked again. So, all eight bells were remade and two more were added, making ten bells in total. This cost £704 in 1821. The last time the old eight bells were rung was on February 19, 1821. They rang 5040 changes (a pattern of ringing bells) in 3 hours and 20 minutes.

The new set of ten bells were made by Thomas Mears II. They were "maiden bells," meaning they were not tuned. In April 1821, plans were made for the opening of these new bells. Ringers from Rotherham were to start at 7 am on Easter Monday. Then, ringers who could handle twelve, ten, or eight bells would take turns. No group was to ring more than 5040 changes on the first day. The bells were not to be rung after 9 pm. The opening continued on Tuesday. Visitors from all over the country came to Rotherham for the event. The first full peal on these bells was rung on December 20, 1821.

These bells stayed until a restoration in 1924–1925. All ten bells, their frame, and fittings were sent away to be remade and rehung. The bells became slightly heavier after being remade. The heaviest bell now weighed about 1,765 kg. The service to dedicate these new bells was held on March 18, 1925. Reports said it was "impressive." The new smallest bell was rung during the service. People said it had a "sweet, velvety note."

During the 1924–1925 restoration, the old wooden frame was removed. A new steel and iron frame was designed for the tower. Strong steel beams now support the walls. This also created a base for adding more bells later. The first full peal on the new ten bells was rung on December 29, 1925.

In the late 1950s, a sound control system was installed. This made the bells easier to use for ringing. Rotherham became a place where people learned to ring bells. This is still true today. In the 1980s, the bell-ringing group grew. Younger people joined. For the 60th anniversary of the bells in 1984, the group decided to add two more bells, making twelve in total. This also created a lighter set of eight bells for teaching. The two new bells were made in 1986 and matched the original ten perfectly.

Because of the sound control, 334 full peals were rung on the original ten bells between 1925 and 1986. The first full peal on the 12 bells was rung on August 18, 1986. The 1000th full peal in the tower was rung on March 19, 2017. It took 3 hours and 29 minutes.

The bells have not had any major work since then. They are known as one of the best sets of bells in the UK. Many groups visit to ring them. In 2022, another bell was added. This allows for a lighter set of eight bells to be rung.