St Bartholomew's Church, Penn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Bartholomew's Church, Penn |
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St Bartholomew's Church, Penn, from the west
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 St Bartholomew's Church, Penn
Location in West Midlands county
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| 52°33′19″N 2°09′26″W / 52.5553°N 2.1571°W | |
| OS grid reference | SO895953 |
| Location | Penn, Wolverhampton, West Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Bartholomew, Penn |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Bartholomew |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 3 February 1977 |
| Architect(s) | W. Evans (south aisle) Paley and Austin (restoration and additions) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone and brick Tiled roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Penn, St Bartholomew's Church |
| Deanery | Trysull |
| Archdeaconry | Walsall |
| Diocese | Lichfield |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Bartholomew's Church is a historic church located in Penn, a part of Wolverhampton, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, which means it's a local church for the community. It belongs to the diocese of Lichfield, which is a larger church area. The church is very important and is listed as a Grade II* building, meaning it has special historical or architectural interest.
Contents
History of the Church
Early Beginnings and First Buildings
This church site has been used for a very long time. We know this because there's a base and stem of an Anglo-Saxon cross in the churchyard. Anglo-Saxon times were before the Norman conquest in 1066. The churchyard is also round, which is a common shape for very old church sites.
The first church we know about on this spot was built around 1200 by Sir Hugh de Bushbury. It was first dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. We don't know exactly when its dedication changed to Saint Bartholomew.
Changes Through the Centuries
Parts of the church you see today are very old. Some of the walls inside, called the north arcade, date back to the 14th century (the 1300s). The western part of this arcade and the church tower were built in the 15th century (the 1400s).
In 1765, the tower was covered in brick. Later, in 1826, a new section was added to the northwest side of the church. A south aisle (a side section of the church) was built in 1845 by W. Evans.
Victorian Era Renovations
The south aisle built in 1845 was too short for everyone to see the altar properly. So, between 1871 and 1872, big changes were made by famous architects Paley and Austin from Lancaster. They added more space to the east end of the south aisle. They also made the main part of the church, the nave, longer and rebuilt the chancel (the area around the altar).
An organ loft (where the organ is) was added in 1901, and a vestry (a room for clergy) was built in 1958. In the 1970s, the inside of the church was rearranged. In 2000, a new section with modern facilities was added to the north side of the church.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
The church is built from smooth, cut stone called ashlar and brick. It has tiled roofs. The church's layout includes a main hall (the nave) with five sections, and side sections (north and south aisles). There's also an extra building to the west of the north aisle. The chancel has three sections, with a vestry to its north and a chapel to its south. There is also a tall tower on the west side.
The tower is covered in brick and has four levels. It has strong corner stones called quoins. At the bottom, there's a doorway on the west side. Above it is an oval panel, and a round shape on the south side. The second level has a large window with a pointed arch. On the third level, there's a clock face on the west side and special four-leaf shapes called quatrefoils on the north and south. The top level has openings with slats, called louvred bell openings, where the bells are. The tower has a decorative top edge, a wall with square shapes (an embattled parapet), and pointed decorations called pinnacles.
The north aisle has tall, narrow windows from the 19th century called lancet windows. It also has a blocked-up round window that might be from the Norman period. The south aisle has a two-part window with fancy stone patterns called tracery, and lancet windows on its south wall. The chancel has a large five-part window at the east end. The chapel has a three-part window at the east and a two-part window at the south. The vestry has a pointed roof and a two-part window. The northwest annexe has a west window with an oval panel showing the date 1826.
Inside the Church
Inside, the main arches of the nave are supported by eight-sided pillars. At the west end, there's a gallery (a raised seating area) that was added in 1765. The floor of the chancel is covered with special encaustic tiles. Their pattern is a copy of the original tiles from the medieval period.
Behind the altar is a beautiful screen called a reredos, made of alabaster. It has arches with colourful mosaic pictures. The wooden pulpit (where sermons are given) stands on a stone base. The eight-sided font (used for baptisms) is from the 15th century.
There are also wall memorials, including one from 1802 by the artist John Flaxman. The church's organ, which has two keyboards, was built in 1974. It replaced an older organ from 1872. The church has a ring of eight bells, all made in 1929.
Churchyard Features
In the churchyard, there are parts of two very old crosses. One, south of the church, is known as Lady Godiva's cross. It was found in 1912 when another cross, from the medieval period, was being fixed. The medieval cross was actually standing on an even older Anglo-Saxon cross base! The medieval cross has since been moved to the west of the church.
Lady Godiva's cross is thought to have been built by Leofric, Earl of Mercia, Lady Godiva's husband. All that's left of it are three round steps and part of a round pole. A sign on the church wall says it was used by traveling priests from Dudley Priory. Both Lady Godiva's cross and the medieval cross are important historical sites, listed as Grade II buildings and protected as scheduled monuments. The medieval cross is made of sandstone and has three steps, a base stone, and a shaft. Its carved top was added in the 20th century.
There are four other important items around the church that are also listed as Grade II buildings. These include a carved tombstone from 1700 against the west wall of the annexe, and another tombstone from 1711 to the southeast of the church. The churchyard walls and the gate pillars to the west, south, and southwest of the church are also listed separately.
See also
- List of ecclesiastical works by Paley and Austin
