St. Michael's Church, Basingstoke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Michael's |
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| St Michael's Church, Basingstoke | |
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| Location | Basingstoke, Hampshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Tradition | Liberal central churchmanship |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Consecrated | c.1510 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed building |
| Style | Perpendicular |
| Years built | 14th–15th century |
| Specifications | |
| Number of towers | 1 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Winchester (since 28 July 1919) |
| Province | Canterbury |
St. Michael's Church is a historic church located in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. It is found in the lower part of the town, close to the center. This church is very important historically. It is officially recognized as a Grade I listed building, which means it's a building of exceptional interest.
History of St. Michael's Church
St. Michael's Church is a Grade I listed building. This means it is one of the most important historical buildings in England. Most of the church was built in the 1500s. It was made using stone and flint.
Like many old churches in Britain, St. Michael's has been changed a lot over hundreds of years. For example, the south porch was added in 1539. A special chapel to remember soldiers, called the War Memorial Chapel, was built in 1920.
The church has a unique shape. It has two main sections, called "aisles." There is also a tall tower at the west end. Two smaller chapels are located on either side of the main altar area, known as the "chancel," at the eastern end. The church also has a churchyard outside. People stopped being buried there around 1860.
Early Construction Details
The oldest parts of the church that we can still see today are St Stephen's Chapel and the "vestry." The vestry is a room where clergy prepare for services. Their outer walls are made of rough flint and rubble stone. They have a separate, steeply sloped roof covered with red tiles. This roof looks like it was added during the Victorian period.
During major repairs in 1840 and 1841, workers found old foundations. They also noticed that many stones had parts of "ancient mouldings." This suggests that these older sections of the church were built on top of an even older building. They might have even used materials from that earlier structure.
Looking at the church inside and out, it seems the chapel's roof was once a "lean-to" style. This means it sloped down from a higher wall. Inside the church, you can see a plain "piscina." A piscina is a stone basin used for washing sacred vessels. There is also a wooden "triptych" from around 1549. A triptych is a work of art made of three panels. This one is thought to be by an artist named Jan Sanders van Hemessen. It was given to the church in the 1870s by the vicar, James Millard.
The famous writer Thomas Hardy wrote about St. Michael's Church in his 1895 novel, Jude the Obscure. He described the church as looking "gaunt and unattractive."
See also
- Basingstoke Team Parish
