St Andrew's Church, Rugby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Andrew's Church, Rugby
St Andrew's Church seen from the north
52°22′21″N 1°15′41″W / 52.3726°N 1.2614°W / 52.3726; -1.2614
Location	Church Street, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 3PT
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Liberal Catholic
History
Status	Active
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade II* listed
Designated	11 October 1949
Architect(s)	William Butterfield
Architectural type	Gothic
Years built	14th century original but major rebuilding in 19th century
Administration
Parish	Rugby St Andrew
Deanery	Rugby
Archdeaconry	Archdeaconry of Coventry
Diocese	Diocese of Coventry
Province	Province of Canterbury

St Andrew's Church is a special church in the middle of Rugby, England. It's part of the Church of England. It's a very important old building, protected by law as a grade II* listed building. This church is unique because it has two sets of bells in two different towers! It's also part of a group called the Major Churches Network. The church is very old, going back to the Middle Ages, but it was made much bigger during the Victorian era.

A Look Back in Time

How the Church Began

The first time a church was mentioned on this spot was in 1140. Back then, it was a small chapel connected to a bigger church nearby. In 1221, Rugby became its own parish, and the chapel became a proper parish church.

It's thought that nothing from that very first church remains today. The current church was built in the 13th or 14th century. The oldest parts you can still see are the North aisle and the West tower. This tower is about 22 metres (72 feet) tall. It looks a lot like a castle tower, which is unusual for a church! This might mean it was built to help defend the area, as well as for religious uses.

There's a local story that the tower was built using stones from a castle in Rugby. This castle was supposedly knocked down by King Henry II, who didn't allow private castles. However, churches could have strong towers. So, the church tower might have been built to offer a place for defence while still following the rules. The West tower is usually thought to be from the 14th century, but it might be even older, from the time of Henry III (1216–1272). It is the oldest building in Rugby. Inside, you can also find other old items from medieval Rugby, like a 13th-century parish chest and a medieval font.

Growing Bigger in the 1800s

As Rugby grew, the church needed to get bigger too. It was expanded several times in 1797, 1814, and 1830. This meant pulling down some parts of the older church, and some old wall paintings from the 14th century were lost.

In the late 1800s, the church was getting old and needed a lot of work. It was rebuilt and made much larger by an architect named William Butterfield. Only the West tower and a part of the North side from the medieval church were kept. Most of the work happened between 1877 and 1879. More additions were made from 1895 to 1896, including a new East tower with a tall spire that reaches about 55 metres (182 feet) high.

What's really special is that both church towers have bells that can be rung! The main set of eight bells is in the East tower. These were made in 1896 by a company called Mears & Stainbank in London. The older set of five bells is in the West tower. These were made in 1711 by Joseph Smith of Edgbaston.

On October 11, 1949, the church was officially named a grade II* listed building, meaning it's a very important historic building.

What the Church Looks Like

Outside, the church is built from cream-coloured Bath stone and has a grey slate roof. Inside, it's very colourful, just like other buildings designed by William Butterfield. The pillars that hold up the roof are made of cream Bath stone and red Alton stone. There are also many colourful tiles on the floor and walls in red, cream, grey, and black. Many people think the inside of this church is one of Butterfield's best designs, showing how skilled he was. The painted ceiling is very high, reaching up to 18 metres (60 feet).

The church has beautiful stained glass windows, especially the East and West windows, which were made by a company called Clayton and Bell. There are also two narrow windows partly hidden by the organ, and a round "Rose Window" completely hidden behind it.

Near the organ, there's a mosaic artwork made by a famous Italian company called Antonio Salviati from Venice. This was probably made with Clayton and Bell.

Between 1909 and 1936, a talented sculptor named Alex Millar created many artworks for the church. These include a statue of the Madonna and Child, the decorated screen behind the main altar, and beautiful wrought iron screens. These metal screens are in front of the main part of the church (the chancel) and the Lady Chapel. Together, they form one of the largest collections of Millar's work.

The design of the church's East tower and spire looks similar to other buildings designed by Butterfield, like Adelaide Cathedral.

Present Day

St Andrew's Church is part of the liberal catholic tradition within the Church of England. This means it has a focus on traditional worship but also welcomes modern ideas.

Notable People

• Robin Gill, a theologian (someone who studies religion), worked here from 1968 to 1971.
• Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, also known as "Woodbine Willie," was a priest here before the First World War. He was famous for his work with soldiers.

Gallery

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  The east tower spire seen from Regent Street

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  Drawing of the church from 1825, before its expansion and the second tower were added

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  The church seen from the south

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  Close up of the Medieval west tower

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  Interior