St Buryan's Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Buryan's Church, St Buryan |
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St Buryan's Church
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Buryan |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Buryan |
| Diocese | Truro |
| Province | Canterbury |
The Church of St Buryan is an old and important Church of England parish church located in St Buryan, a village in Cornwall, England. Much of the church you see today was built in the late 1400s.
Contents
History of the Church Building
There has been a church on this spot for a very long time, since around 930 AD. King Athelstan visited a small chapel here to pray before he went to conquer the Isles of Scilly. He promised to build a college for priests if his trip was successful. When he returned victorious, Athelstan kept his promise. He built a church to honor Saint Buriana, making St Buryan one of the first monasteries in Cornwall.
The church building was made bigger in 1238. However, by 1473, parts of it were falling apart and needed to be rebuilt. The tall tower you see today was finished in 1501. It stands 92 feet (about 28 meters) high and is made from strong granite stone from a nearby place called Lamorna. This same type of granite was later used to build Old London Bridge. The tower has four main sections and strong supports at each corner. A spiral staircase is hidden inside a round tower on the south-east side.
Most of the church building was added in the late 1400s and 1500s. The north wall was rebuilt in the 1700s. The church has been repaired and restored many times over the years. In 1875, it was reopened by the Bishop of Exeter after a big restoration. Today, St Buryan Church is a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historic building.
A Special Church Status
Because of the original promise made by King Athelstan, St Buryan parish was once considered a "Royal Peculiar." This meant it was directly under the King or Queen's control, not the local church leaders (bishops). It was almost like its own small church area!
For many years, between 1300 and 1473, there were big arguments between the King and the Bishops of Exeter about who was in charge. Bishops were even scared to visit St Buryan, saying they feared for their lives! Things got so bad in 1327 that there was a fight in the churchyard. In 1328, the Bishop even kicked St Buryan out of the church (this is called excommunication) until 1336.
Because of these problems, the church building became quite run-down by 1473. The special "Deanery" (the church's leadership) was later joined with the Bishopric of Exeter in 1663. However, it became separate again for a while. Today, the local church area (diocese) includes St Buryan, St Levan, and Sennen.
The Church Bells
The tower of St Buryan Church holds six beautiful bells that call people to worship. These bells are very famous! St Buryan has the world's third heaviest treble bell (the smallest bell in a set) and a magnificent tenor bell (the largest bell). Because of this, St Buryan Church has the heaviest set of six bells anywhere in the world!
The tower was originally planned to have eight bells, which would have been the first set of eight in Cornwall. However, that plan was never fully completed. In 1901, the bells were greatly improved. Two old bells were remade, and a new large bell was added. The bells were then hung in a strong new steel frame.
For a while, the bells weren't rung much because local bell ringers preferred other churches. But between 1990 and 2001, the bells were restored thanks to the hard work of Chris Venn and others. The first four bells were rehung in 1991. Then, two more bells were made in London after a successful fundraising campaign that raised £80,000. Even Norma Major, the wife of the Prime Minister at the time, helped! Now, the six bells are rung regularly by a dedicated group from the village.
| weight | dia. | note | founder | inscription | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (cwts, qtrs, lbs) | (inches) | ||||
| Treble | 9-1-11 | 36 | A# | 2001 Whitechapel | I Ring Out Gods Love And Lead The Mighty Five And Rest With Solomon By My Side |
| 2 | 8-1-0 | 38 | G# | 1681 R Pennington | Mr Richard Davis Sampson Hutchins Wardens |
| 3 | 13-2-10 | 43 | F# | 1992 Whitechapel | Vocem ego do vobis date verba deo (I give my voice to you: give ye your words to God). Donated by Venn Bros Ltd (Cornwall) In memory of Eva Venn |
| 4 | 13-3-1 | 45 | E# | 1901 J Warner | Virginis egregiae vocor campana Mariae (I am called the bell of Mary the Glorious virgin) |
| 5 | 20-2-2 | 50 | D# | 1901 J Warner | Richard James Martyn Rector This bell was given to commemorate the Accession of King Edward VII AD 1901 by James Hawke Dennis, Benefactor to St Buryan Church |
| Tenor | 37-2-9 | 59 | C# | 1994 Whitechapel | ST SOLOMON Calcar sit quo deus laudetur vox mea (Let my voice be the spur with which to praise God). PRAY FOR US: Christopher J Venn (Tower Captain and Restorer); Joan Thomas; Revd Dr R Legg; B S Cheek; Christine Jago; K Gilbert; Helen Gilbert; J Ellis; Sarah Veal. In Fond Memory of T W Trevor Hitchens 30.12.24 - 23.12.92. Part cost of this bell was met by T Neil & Jane M Hitchens |
The Organ
The church has a pipe organ built by Heard and Sons in 1895. An organ is a large musical instrument that uses air blown through pipes to make sound.
The Churchyard
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The churchyard around St Buryan Church has several old stone crosses. One of these crosses is right inside the churchyard. In 1879, a newspaper complained that the platform of the village cross, which was in front of the churchyard gate, was used for a mid-summer bonfire. This left the cross blackened and burned.
Augustus Smith (1804–1872), who was the first Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly, is buried in the churchyard.
