St Bartholomew's Church, Lower Basildon facts for kids
St Bartholomew's Church is an old church in Lower Basildon, England. It was built a long time ago, in the late 1200s! The church was updated and fixed up quite a bit in the late 1800s. It has a main area called the nave, a special part for the altar called the chancel, and a porch. Inside, there's a stone font from the 1400s used for baptisms. A famous inventor named Jethro Tull, who helped change farming, was baptized and buried here. This church is very important, so it's listed as a Grade I building by Historic England.
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About St Bartholomew's Church
St Bartholomew's Church is a former Church of England church. It is located in the small village of Lower Basildon, Berkshire, England. Today, the Churches Conservation Trust looks after it. The church was built in the late 1200s. It was made from flint stones with special Bath stone details.
Church Layout and Features
The church building has several parts. These include the nave (the main area), the chancel (where the altar is), a south porch, and a north aisle. Inside, you can see a stone font from the 1400s. This font has eight sides and pretty designs on its panels.
The west tower of the church was built later, in 1734. It is made of grey bricks with red details and has three levels. In the 1800s, a new north aisle was added. This part has round pillars and arched openings. The tower also has four bells. Below the bells, on the south side, there is a clock. A gabled porch and the north aisle were built between 1875 and 1876. The roof of the chancel was also rebuilt in 1876.
Important Monuments and History
Inside the chancel, there is a stone chest tomb from the 1300s. It was later used as a monument for Sir Francis Sykes, who passed away in 1804, and his son. Other memorials in the church include a brass plaque for John Clerk and his wife from 1497. There are also tablets for Sir Francis Sykes (1804) and Sir Francis W. Sykes (1843).
The church is very special. Historic England has given it a Grade I listed building status. This means it is a building of exceptional historical and architectural importance.
Jethro Tull's Connection to the Church
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Jethro Tull was an important English farmer and inventor. He lived in the 1700s and played a big part in the British Agricultural Revolution. He was baptized at St Bartholomew's Church on March 30, 1674. He was also buried in the church's graveyard.
Jethro Tull's Inventions
Jethro Tull is most famous for inventing the horse-drawn seed drill in 1701. Before this, farmers would scatter seeds by hand. Tull's machine planted seeds neatly in rows. This made farming much more efficient and helped crops grow better.
Understanding Burial Dates
Jethro Tull passed away in 1741. However, his gravestone says he was buried on March 9, 1740. This might seem confusing! It's because of an old way of counting years. In the past, the new year sometimes started in March, not January. So, March 1740 in the "Old Style" was actually March 1741 in our modern calendar.
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