St Aidan's Church, Bamburgh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Aidan's Church, Bamburgh |
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St Aidan's Church, Bamburgh
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| 55°36′29.17″N 1°43′5.61″W / 55.6081028°N 1.7182250°W | |
| Location | Radcliffe Road, Bamburgh, Northumberland NE69 7AB |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Aidan |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Bamburgh |
| Deanery | Bamburgh & Glendale |
| Archdeaconry | Lindisfarne |
| Diocese | Diocese of Newcastle |
St Aidan's Church is a very old and important church located in Bamburgh, Northumberland, England. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered one of the most historically significant buildings in the country. This church belongs to the Church of England and is part of the Diocese of Newcastle.
Contents
The Church's Long History
A Wooden Church from the Past
The story of St Aidan's Church begins a very long time ago, around the year 635 AD. A famous historian named Bede wrote that St Aidan built a simple wooden church right where the stone church stands today. St Aidan was an important saint who helped spread Christianity in England. He even died in this wooden church in 652 AD.
There's a special wooden beam inside the church that people say is the very one St Aidan rested on when he died. It's a cool piece of history!
Building the Stone Church
The church you see today was mostly built much later, starting in the late 1100s. However, some parts of the church, especially in the north aisle, still have stones from even older buildings that were there before the current one.
Around 1230, a long section called the chancel was added. It's said to be one of the longest chancels in England, stretching about 60 feet! Inside, you can see a beautiful carved screen from 1895 called a reredos. It was made by W.S. Hicks and shows saints from the 600s and 700s.
The older, eastern part of the church has a special wooden roof that looks like it was built in the old Saxon style.
Challenges and Repairs Over Time
After the 1500s, when many monasteries were closed down in England, the monks who cared for St Aidan's had to leave. The church then became the main church for the village of Bamburgh. However, it wasn't always well looked after. By the year 1600, the church was in poor condition and needed a lot of work.
Over the next few centuries, many repairs were made. The biggest restorations happened in the 1800s, with the last major one completed in 1895. These efforts helped keep the historic building standing strong.
The Crypt and Ancient Bones
Deep beneath the church, in a special underground room called a crypt, lie the remains of 110 people. These individuals lived and died in the 600s and 700s! Their bones were found between 1998 and 2007 during a project at the castle's old graveyard, called the Bowl Hole.
In 2016, these ancient remains were carefully moved into the church's crypt. Since late 2019, visitors can actually peek into the crypt through a small gate. There's also a display called "Accessing Aidan" where you can learn more about these ancient people and see digital images of their bones. It's managed by a group called the Bamburgh Bones consortium.
Important Memorials
St Aidan's Church is home to several memorials that honor important people.
Grace Darling's Memorial
One of the most famous memorials is dedicated to a local hero named Grace Darling. She was a brave young woman who, in 1838, helped rescue survivors from a shipwreck. Inside the church, you can see a stone statue (called an effigy) of Grace Darling. It was made in 1844 by Charles Raymond Smith.
This statue was originally part of a larger memorial to Grace Darling in the churchyard. However, because the stone outside started to wear away, this part was moved inside for protection. The main memorial in the churchyard was designed so that sailors passing by could see it.
Other Notable Memorials
- A 14th-century tomb with a statue of a Knight.
- Wall memorials for the Forster family, including Sir Claudius Forster, 1st Baronet (from 1623) and a family memorial from 1711.
- The Sharpe memorial from 1839, created by the famous sculptor Francis Leggatt Chantrey.
- A brass plaque honoring Arthur Lionel Smith, a historian.
- A memorial for Major General George Younghusband.
The churchyard also contains a Commonwealth war grave for an airman who died during World War II.
The Church Organ
The church has a pipe organ built by a company called Harrison and Harrison in 1883. It has two keyboards, which are called "manuals." You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register website.
