St Bartholomew's Church, Lostwithiel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Bartholomew's Church, Lostwithiel |
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St. Bartholomew's Church, Lostwithiel
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 St. Bartholomew's Church, Lostwithiel
Location in Cornwall
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| 50°24′27″N 04°40′09″W / 50.40750°N 4.66917°W | |
| OS grid reference | SX 104 598 |
| Location | Lostwithiel, Cornwall |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| Website | [1] |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Bartholomew |
| Specifications | |
| Spire height | 113 feet (34 m) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Lostwithiel |
| Deanery | Trigg Minor and Bodmin |
| Archdeaconry | Bodmin |
| Diocese | Truro |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Bartholomew's Church is an old parish church in Lostwithiel, Cornwall, England. It is part of the Church of England and the Diocese of Truro.
Contents
History of the Church Building
The oldest part of the church is its tower, built in the 1200s. The tall, pointy top, called a spire, was added in the early 1300s. The rest of the church was built later in the 1300s.
Unique Features of the Spire
The spire has an eight-sided screen around its base. Four of these sides used to have windows. This spire is made from Pentewan stone and is a very special part of this large town church. On the north side, you can see a St Catherine's Wheel design.
Inside the Church
Unlike many churches in Cornwall, St Bartholomew's has a clerestory. This is a row of windows high up on the walls of the main part of the church (the nave). There are also some beautiful old memorials from the Georgian period (1714-1837). You can also find a brass plaque from 1423.
The large east window, with its five sections, is one of the most famous in Cornwall. It was built around the same time as the spire.
The Ancient Font
The church has an amazing font from the early 1300s. A font is a stone basin used for baptisms. This one has cool carvings of:
- a huntsman and a hawk
- a head with leaves growing from its mouth
- a scary face
- a wolf and hounds
- lions
Church Restoration in the 1800s
The church was repaired and updated between 1878 and 1879. A local company, Messrs Phelp and Brown, did the work. Mr Clark from London was the architect. The outside of the church was cleaned up. Inside, the old plaster ceiling was removed. They also took out the old, uncomfortable pews.
A new roof made of pitch pine wood was put in. New floors were laid, and Harry Hems created new carvings. This big project cost about £1,200. The church reopened on May 29, 1879, with a special service.
Organ and Vestry Updates
In 1894, the church organ was made bigger. Because of this, a new room was needed for the clergy (church leaders) and choir. This room, called a vestry, was built in the north-west corner under the spire. Edmund Sedding designed it, and it cost £200.
The Church Organ
The organ was built around 1888 by Brewer of Truro. It used some pipes from an even older organ from 1828. The organ has been fixed up several times since then. Osmonds of Taunton restored it, and Lance Foy of Truro worked on it in 1992. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Church Bells
The tower holds a set of six bells. These bells were made by Gillett & Johnston in 1924.
Connected Churches
St Bartholomew's Church is part of a group of churches that work together. This group includes:
- Boconnoc Church
- St Brevita’s Church, Lanlivery
- St Cyricius and St Julietta's Church, St Veep
- St Mary the Virgin's Church, Braddock
- St Nectan’s Chapel, St Winnow
- St Winnow’s Church, St Winnow
Churchyard Features
In the churchyard, there is a grave belonging to a member of the Hext family. On this grave, you can see a medieval lantern cross. A lantern cross is a type of cross with a small, lantern-like top. This cross head was found in the 1800s in an unknown place. In 1882, it was put up in the churchyard. A local historian named Frances Margery Hext paid to have the cross fixed. It was later moved to where it is now.
