St Andrew's Church, Great Ness facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Andrew's Church, Great Ness |
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St Andrew's Church, Great Ness, from the south
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| OS grid reference | SJ 398 190 |
| Location | Great Ness, Shropshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Andrew, Great Ness |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 27 May 1953 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone Nave tiled, chancel slated |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Great Ness |
| Deanery | Ellesmere |
| Archdeaconry | Salop |
| Diocese | Lichfield |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Andrew's Church is a very old and important church located in the village of Great Ness, in Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, meaning it's a local church where people still gather for worship.
St Andrew's is part of the Diocese of Lichfield. It's so special that it's officially protected as a Grade I listed building. This means it's considered a building of exceptional historical and architectural importance.
Contents
History of St Andrew's Church
This church has a long and fascinating history! It started as a special church called a "collegiate church" way back in the Saxon times, even before the Norman Conquest. It's even mentioned in the famous Domesday Book, a survey of England made in 1086.
The main part of the church, called the nave, and its tower were built in the 13th century (the 1200s). The chancel, which is the area near the altar, was added a bit later, in the early 14th century (the early 1300s).
Over the years, parts of the church were updated. The top part of the tower was either added or rebuilt in the 17th century. In 1852, the chancel got a new roof. The church also had some repairs and improvements in 1880. A small room called the vestry was added in the late 19th century.
Architecture: What the Church Looks Like
Outside the Church
The church's main parts, the nave and the tower, are built from red sandstone. The nave has a tiled roof. The chancel, on the other hand, is made from pinkish-grey sandstone and has a slate roof.
The church has a three-part nave with a porch on the south side. It also has a two-part chancel with a vestry on the north side, and a tower at the west end. The tower has three levels. The lower two levels have narrow, tall windows called lancet windows. The tower also has diagonal supports called buttresses.
At the very top of the tower, you'll see openings with louvers for the bells. The tower has a battlemented top, which looks like the top of a castle wall, and a pointed roof with a weathervane. The nave is built in an "Early English" style, with pairs of lancet windows. The chancel is in a "Decorated" style. On the south side of the chancel, there's a special door for the priest. The large window at the east end has three sections.
Inside the Church
Inside the church, on the south wall of the nave, you can see the arches of an old arcade. This means there used to be an aisle (a side section) here that has since been removed.
In the south wall of the chancel, there's a special basin called a piscina with a curved top, and a small cupboard called an aumbry. The chancel roof was put in place in 1852, but the nave roof is much older, dating back to medieval times.
The rail around the altar is from the 17th century and has decorative turned posts called balusters. The chancel floor is covered with beautiful patterned encaustic tiles. At the west end of the nave, there are also some medieval tiles that have been re-laid.
The font, where baptisms take place, is made of stone and dates from 1850. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is also stone and from 1885. Both are shaped like polygons.
At the west end of the church, there's a gallery built in 1765, supported by two square posts. This gallery holds the church organ. On the front of the gallery, there are painted boards, one of which shows the Royal arms. To the right of the arch leading to the chancel, there's a hatchment, which is a painted coat of arms for a deceased person.
Some of the windows have beautiful stained glass from the 19th century. You can also find memorial tablets inside the church, dating from the late 1700s and early 1800s.
The church has a ring of six bells. The oldest bell was made in 1634. Four bells were made in 1932 by a company called Gillett & Johnston, and the sixth bell doesn't have a date.
Churchyard Features
The churchyard around St Andrew's also has some interesting historical features. There are several memorials here that are also listed as Grade II, meaning they are important historical structures.
To the southeast of the church, you'll find two unique chest tombs from the mid to late 18th century, known as the Wingfield Memorials. To the northeast, there's the Edwards Memorial, which is a sandstone tomb from 1820 topped with a large urn.
There's also a sandstone churchyard cross from the 14th or 15th century. It has an eight-sided base with four steps and a broken shaft. This cross is also listed as Grade II and is a "scheduled monument," meaning it's a nationally important archaeological site.
Near the path on the south side of the church, there's a Commonwealth war grave for a soldier from the King's Liverpool Regiment who died in World War I.
See also
