St Cuthbert's Church, Holme Lacy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Cuthbert's Church, Holme Lacy |
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St Cuthbert's Church, Holme Lacy, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | SO 568 347 |
| Location | Holme Lacy, Herefordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Cuthbert |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 26 January 1967 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 12th century |
| Completed | 16th century |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, tile roofs |
St Cuthbert's Church is an old Anglican church that is no longer used for regular services. It is located about 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of Holme Lacy, a village in Herefordshire, England. The church stands by itself at the end of a small road, near a bend in the River Wye. It is a very important building, listed as a Grade I historic site. The Churches Conservation Trust now looks after it.
Contents
Church History
The land where St Cuthbert's Church stands was given to Walter de Lacy by William the Conqueror. This happened after the Normans took over England. Later, the land went to the Scudamore family through marriage. They became the church's main supporters. The Scudamore family owned the land until 1909–10. Then, Sir Robert Lucas-Tooth, 1st Baronet bought it.
The Domesday Book, a survey from 1086, mentions a priest in Holme Lacy. This means there was likely a church here even back then. Today, the church is quite isolated. But old earthworks nearby suggest there used to be a village around it. This village was later left empty.
The church building you see today was first built in the 13th century. The tower was added in the 14th century. A north chapel and a south porch were built in the 16th century. In 1833, a gallery (a raised seating area) was put in, and an organ was added. By 1924, the gallery was gone, and a new organ replaced the old one. Major repairs were also done to the roof, arches, and floors that year.
Church Design and Outside Look
St Cuthbert's Church is made from sandstone with roofs covered in tiles. The main part of the church, called the nave, has six sections. It connects to a two-section chancel (the area around the altar). There is also a north chapel and a south aisle (a side passage). The south aisle leads to a south chapel at its eastern end. A south porch is also part of the church.
At the west end of the church is a tower. The tower has three levels. The top two levels are separated by a stone band called a string course. There are strong supports, called buttresses, at the tower's corners. On the west wall of the bottom level, there is an arched doorway. Above it is a small arched window. The middle level has another window, which is square-shaped.
The top level of the tower has arched openings for bells on each side. These openings have wooden slats called louvres. Above each bell opening are two small, three-leaf shaped windows called trefoil windows. The top edge of the tower, called the parapet, is plain.
Along the north wall of the nave, there are three pairs of windows. Above the western pair, there is a small roofed window called a gabled dormer. The north wall of the chancel has two similar windows. The east window of the chancel has three sections of glass. There is a buttress between this window and the two-section east window of the south chapel. A stone cross sits on the highest point of the north chapel and the chancel roofs.
The south wall has many different windows, including two tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. The west window of the aisle has two sections. The south porch has benches along its sides.
Inside the Church
Fittings and Furniture
The main parts of the church have plastered ceilings. However, the north chapel has an open, rounded ceiling that looks like the inside of a barrel. This is called a wagon roof. A beautifully carved wooden screen separates the nave from the north chapel.
There are two piscinas (small basins for washing communion vessels) in the church. One is in the chancel, and another is in the south chapel. The font (a basin for baptisms) is from the 17th century. It has a round bowl on a cylindrical base. The font is carved with flower shapes and cherubs (small winged figures). On the floor near the north chapel entrance, there is a round stone bowl.
The chancel has a communion table from the 17th century. Its east wall is covered with wooden panelling from the same time. The church also has two sets of choir stalls, possibly from the 15th century. These stalls have special seats called misericords. They are carved with interesting designs, like a strange head and a bird. Other items from the 17th century include carved benches, a chest, and chairs.
The lectern (a stand for reading) has a gilded (gold-covered) eagle on an oak base. It is dated 1914. On the walls, there are four hatchments. These are diamond-shaped boards showing a family's coat of arms, usually for someone who has died. Near the south door, there is a board from 1790 listing gifts given to the church.
At the west end of the church, there is a two-manual organ. This means it has two keyboards. The organ was built in 1912. It was moved to the west end in 1924. The church has a ring of eight bells. All these bells were made by Rudhall of Gloucester. Six were cast in 1709, and the other two in 1808 and 1829.
Memorials and Tombs
Most of the memorials in the church are for members of the Scudamore family. Between the chancel and the south chapel, there is a large stone tomb called a chest tomb. It dates from around 1550. On top of it are alabaster (a type of stone) statues of John Scudamore and his wife Sibell. John Scudamore is shown in armor, with his feet resting on a lion. Sibell is wearing a long dress. The sides of the tomb have shields with family coats of arms.
On the north wall of the chancel, there is a white marble monument in the Baroque style. It is for James Scudamore, who died in 1668. This monument has a sculpture of James Scudamore sitting, dressed in Roman clothing. Two cherubs are above his head. The whole monument is framed by two flat columns called pilasters. To the left of this monument is another one for his wife, Jane, also in the Baroque style.
In the south aisle, there is a wall monument for James Scudamore, 3rd Viscount Scudamore, who died in 1716. This monument has a stone coffin, called a sarcophagus. On top of it are an urn (a decorative vase) and two seated putti (small winged figures). Lower down, on each side of the sarcophagus, are two skulls decorated with wreaths. The whole monument is surrounded by Ionic columns (a type of Greek column) and a broken triangular top part called a pediment.
On the east wall of the south chapel, there is a monument to Mary Scudamore Stanhope. She was the wife of Sir Edwyn Francis Scudamore Stanhope. She died in 1859. This monument was carved by Matthew Noble from white marble. It shows a female figure standing in a special recessed space called a niche. In the north chapel, there is another marble wall monument by Noble. This one is for Chandos Scudamore Stanhope, a captain in the Royal Navy. He died in 1871. This monument shows an angel above an anchor.
Stained Glass Windows
The east window of the south chapel shows Cornelius and an angel. It remembers Francis Brydges Scudamore Stanhope, who died in 1855. In the east window of the chancel, there is a picture of the Archangel Michael weighing souls. This window remembers Sir Robert Lucas-Tooth, who died in 1915. The north window of the chancel has small pieces of glass from the medieval period.
The east window on the south wall of the south aisle shows the Good Samaritan. This window is a memorial to William Pitt Scudamore Stanhope. He was the vicar (a type of priest) of the church from 1872 to 1892. In the north chapel, there is a window showing Sir Galahad and Sir Bors. This window remembers Sir Archibald Lucas-Tooth, 2nd Baronet, who died in the First World War in 1918. Also in the north chapel, there is a window remembering Henry Scudamore-Stanhope, 9th Earl of Chesterfield, who died in 1887.
Outside the Church Grounds
To the south of the church, there is a churchyard cross made of sandstone. The oldest parts, like the base and the lower part of the shaft, are probably from the 14th century. The three stone steps, the upper part of the shaft, and the cross itself were added during a restoration in the 20th century. This cross is also a listed historic building (Grade II).
Also to the south of the church, there are three other historic items (Grade II listed). To the east of the porch, there is a wide grave headstone from 1660. Further to the west, there are two pairs of chest tombs. The first pair is dated 1790 and 1847. The other pair is surrounded by railings and dates from about 1835.
To the east of the church, there is a gate with stone posts, called piers, and attached walls. The gate and piers are probably from the late 17th century, and the walls were added later. The gates and piers are made of wrought iron (a type of iron), and the walls are sandstone. The decorative arch above the gate, called an overthrow, has an inscription. It also has a design combining the Royal coat of arms and the Scudamore family's arms. The gate, piers, and walls are a very important historic site (Grade II* listed). People think they were moved here from Holme Lacy House. To the north of the church tower, there is a war grave for a Canadian Army soldier from World War I.
See also
