St Bartholomew's Church, Furtho facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Bartholomew's Church, Furtho |
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St Bartholomew's Church, Furtho,
from the southeast |
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| OS grid reference | SP 773 430 |
| Location | Furtho, Northamptonshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Founded | before 1190 |
| Dedication | Saint Bartholomew |
| Events | 1620, rebuilt and tower added 1870, restored |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 17 June 1960 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Perpendicular |
| Groundbreaking | 12th century |
| Closed | 1920 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Limestone, Slate and tile roofs |
St Bartholomew's Church is an old Anglican church in a place called Furtho, in Northamptonshire, England. It's now a "redundant" church, which means it's no longer used for regular church services.
This church is very special. It's listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's an important historic building that needs to be protected. The Churches Conservation Trust looks after it.
Furtho used to be a busy medieval village. But in the 1500s, people started to "enclose" the land. This meant they fenced off common land for private use. By the 1570s, the village became deserted. Today, only a farm and an old dovecote (a building for doves) are left near the church.
Contents
History of St Bartholomew's Church
This church has a long and interesting past. It was first built way back in the 12th century, which is over 800 years ago! More parts were added and changed in the 14th century.
Key Dates in the Church's History
- Around 1620: The church was largely rebuilt. This included adding the tower you see today.
- 1870: The church was "restored." This means it was repaired and updated to make it look good again.
- 1920: St Bartholomew's stopped being a regular parish church. A parish church is one that serves a local community.
- Second World War: During the war, the church was used to store important old documents from the Northampton Record Society. Sadly, a bomb hit the area and broke all the church windows.
- 1989: The church was officially declared "redundant" on May 16th.
- 1990: On June 7th, the church was handed over to the Churches Conservation Trust. They now take care of it, making sure it stays safe for future generations.
Exploring the Church's Architecture
St Bartholomew's Church is built from limestone, a type of rock. The roof over the main part of the church, called the nave, is made of slate. The roofs of the chancel (the area near the altar) and the tower are covered with tiles.
Outside the Church: What to See
The church has a nave with three sections and a chancel with two sections. There's also a tower at the west end.
- The Tower: The tower has two levels and strong diagonal supports called buttresses. It has a pointy, pyramid-shaped roof. On the lower level, there's a window with three parts. The upper level has three-part openings where the bells would have been. The top edge of the tower is battlemented, meaning it looks like the top of a castle wall.
- The Nave: The nave has arched windows, each with three parts and stone bars called mullions. You can find arched doorways on both the north and south sides of the nave. These doorways have a special shape called a Tudor arch.
- The Chancel: At the east end of the church, there's a decorative stone piece called a finial on the roof. The east window has three parts. On the south wall of the chancel, there are two windows, each with two parts and fancy stone patterns called tracery. There's also a round-arched door, which was likely used by the priest.
Inside the Church: Discoveries
When you go inside, you'll find some interesting features.
- In the Chancel:
- There's a trefoil-shaped piscina. This was a basin used for washing sacred vessels.
- You'll also see a tomb recess, which is a space in the wall for a tomb.
- On either side of the east window, there are brackets where statues would have once stood.
- There's a marble memorial for Anthony Furtho, who passed away in 1558, and his two wives.
- Another monument remembers Edmund Arnold, from 1676.
- The Font: The font, used for baptisms, is small and has eight sides. It was made in the 17th century.
See also
