St Bartholomew's Church, Welby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Bartholomews's Church, Welby |
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Church of St Bartholomew, Welby
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| 52°55′56″N 0°33′01″W / 52.9322°N 0.5503°W | |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Bartholomew |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Ancaster and Wilsford |
| Deanery | Deanery of Loveden |
| Diocese | Diocese of Lincoln |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Bartholomew's Church is an old and important church in the English village of Welby, Lincolnshire. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very special historical place. The church is dedicated to Bartholomew the Apostle, one of Jesus's disciples.
You can find St Bartholomew's about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) northeast of Grantham. It's also about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) east of High Dyke, which is near an old Roman road. The church is part of the Church of England and belongs to the Ancaster and Wilsford church group in the Diocese of Lincoln.
Contents
The Church's Long History
Early Beginnings and Changes
The first mention of a church in Welby goes way back to 1086. This was recorded in the Domesday Book, a famous survey ordered by William the Conqueror. It shows that Welby already had a priest and a church at that time.
The church's records, called the parish register, started in 1569. Around 1400, the south side of the church's main area, called the nave, was rebuilt. Later, in 1873, the north side, known as the aisle, was made bigger. The chancel, which is the area around the altar, was also rebuilt. These changes cost £450 and were done to match the church's original Early English style. A church organ was added at the same time for £140. In 1887, a beautifully carved wooden screen behind the altar, called a reredos, was put in place.
Life in the Parish
In the 1800s and early 1900s, Welby was part of the Grantham North church area. The Bishop of Lincoln was in charge of choosing the rector, who was the main priest.
A special gift was given to the parish in 1824 by Reverend William Dodwell. He left money to help the poor people of Welby. Part of this money was used to pay the schoolmaster to teach six boys and six girls. Another part helped a poor boy learn a trade by becoming an apprentice. The rest of the money provided clothes and coal for people in need.
Keeping Records and Discoveries
A diary from the church exists, with entries from the 1860s up to 1968. This diary tells us about different changes inside the church. For example, it mentions that the seating was rearranged. In 1872, a stove was added to keep the church warm. In 1927, a concrete floor was partly laid under the nave and chancel.
In 2001, experts from Lindsey Archaeological Services looked closely at the church floor. This happened before new underfloor heating was installed. They removed the pews (church benches) and dug small trenches under the flagstone floors. They found pieces of an older floor, bits of stained glass and window lead, and pottery from the 15th to 19th centuries. They also found some graves and shroud pins, which were used to hold burial cloths.
The church was officially given its English Heritage Grade I listing in 1966. This means it's a very important historical building. The Welby Parochial Church Council has also received money from the Heritage Lottery Fund to help with restoring the church.
Church Design and Features
Building Style and Parts
St Bartholomew's Church can seat 240 people. It is built from limestone that has been carefully cut and shaped, and also from rough stone. The church dates back to the 13th century and shows two main styles of English Gothic architecture: Early English and Perpendicular.
The church has several main parts:
- A chancel (the area near the altar).
- A nave (the main seating area).
- A north aisle (a side section).
- A tower on the west side with a spire.
- A vestry (a room for the priest).
- A south porch (the entrance).
Outside Details
The Early English tower has four bells. On top of the tower is an eight-sided spire with two levels of small windows called lucarnes. The top edge of the Perpendicular nave, called the clerestory, has a decorated wall called a parapet with pointed decorations called pinnacles. On the north side, these pinnacles have shields inside quatrefoil shapes. Seven gargoyles help drain water from the roof.
The "tall" south porch, built in the Perpendicular style, has crocketed pinnacles on its gable (the triangular part of the roof). The expert Nikolaus Pevsner described these as "oversized." The south door, from the 16th century, has decorative patterns called tracery. The north doorway, on the opposite side, is now blocked up.
Inside the Church
Inside, some parts of the church walls are made of smooth stone, while others show the rough stone. The north arcade (a row of arches) has eight-sided piers (columns) from the 15th century, forming four sections. The tower has an arch from the 13th century. You can see signs of an older nave on the west side, shown by a lower roof line.
The church still has doors that once led to a rood screen, which was a decorative screen separating the nave from the chancel. This screen is from the early 16th century and was restored in 1948. The pulpit (where sermons are given) and the lectern (where readings are done) are from the 19th century. The eight-sided font, used for baptisms, is from the 17th century.
Special Memorials
Inside the porch, there is a stone tomb cover from the 14th century. It has carvings of a woman's head and shoulders inside a quatrefoil shape, and a baby wrapped in a shroud. This tomb cover was originally in the churchyard. The porch also has a special message carved into it, remembering the charity started by Reverend William Dodwell in 1824.
The churchyard of St Bartholomew's has a memorial for eight soldiers who died during the First World War and one who died in the Second World War.
Images for kids
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Tomb cover in St Bartholomew's Church
