St Bartholomew's Church, Richard's Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Bartholomew's Church,Richard's Castle |
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St Bartholomew's Church, Richard's Castle,
from the southeast |
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| OS grid reference | SO 484 702 |
| Location | Richard's Castle, Herefordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Bartholomew |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 11 June 1959 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 12th century |
| Completed | 15th century |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone, tile roofs |
St Bartholomew's Church is a very old Anglican church in the village of Richard's Castle, Herefordshire, England. It is no longer used for regular church services, but it is a very important historic building. It is listed as a Grade I building, which means it's considered to be of exceptional interest. The Churches Conservation Trust now looks after it. The church is located near the old Richard's Castle, which was built to protect this area near the border with Wales.
One special thing about this church is that its tower is not attached to the main building. It stands about 11 meters (11 yards) to the east of the church.
Contents
A Look Back: History of the Church
This church was first built way back in the 12th century, which is over 800 years ago! More parts were added in the early 1300s and again in the early 1400s. In the late 1800s, some parts of the church were repaired and updated.
St Bartholomew's Church stopped being used for regular services on August 1, 1982. On March 30, 2001, the Churches Conservation Trust took over its care. People in the village still have a Church of England church, All Saints, in nearby Batchcott, Shropshire.
What Does It Look Like? Architecture
St Bartholomew's Church is made from stone with tile roofs. The main part of the church, called the nave (where people sit) and the chancel (the area near the altar), was built in the 12th century. A south aisle (a side section) and a north chapel were added in the 14th century. A porch on the south side was built in the 15th century.
Outside the Church
The south aisle has three sections, with stone supports called buttresses in between. The middle section has two tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. The eastern section has a window with two lights (sections), and the western section has the south doorway. The porch has an arch, and on each side, there are windows with two lights.
The west window of the aisle has two lancet windows, and the east end has a window with three lights. The west window of the nave has four lights. On the north wall, there are two buttresses and two round-headed windows from the 12th century. One of these windows is partly hidden by a buttress. The chapel has a large window with four lights on the north side, and windows with three lights on the east and west sides.
The south wall of the chancel has three sections. It includes a door for the priest, with a two-light window on each side. The east window has four lights. Below it, there is another two-light window and the top of a doorway that once led to an underground vault. In the churchyard, there is a war grave for a soldier from World War I.
Inside the Church
Inside, the south arcade (a row of arches) has three sections. The arcade between the chancel and the chapel has two sections. In the south wall of the aisle, there is a piscina, which is a stone basin used for washing sacred vessels. Against the west wall of the aisle, there is a 13th-century coffin lid with a carved cross design. Under the north window of the chapel, there is a special space for a tomb.
The church has box pews (enclosed seats) from the 17th century in the nave and aisle. Other parts of the church have benches. In the chapel, there is an 18th-century family pew under a special roof-like structure called a canopy. You can still see small pieces of colorful 14th-century stained glass in many of the windows. In the chancel, there are six hatchments (diamond-shaped boards with coats of arms) on the walls and memorial slabs from the 18th century on the floor. In the southwest part of the church, there is a font (a basin for baptisms) that seems to be from the Herefordshire Romanesque Sculpture school. It appears to show four horned rams, but it is very worn, suggesting it might have been outside for a long time.
The Separate Tower
East of the church, there is a tower that stands by itself. It was built in the 14th century and was repaired in the 19th century. The tower has a square shape and a pyramid-shaped roof made of slate, topped with a weathervane.
The tower has three levels. On the lowest level, there is an arched entrance on the west side. The east and south sides of both the lowest and middle levels have square-headed windows. The top level has arched openings with two lights for the bells on the north, south, and east sides. This tower is also listed separately as a Grade I building because of its historical importance.
See also
