St Cyriac's Church, Lacock facts for kids
St Cyriac's Church is an old Church of England church in the village of Lacock, Wiltshire. It was mostly built in the 14th and 15th centuries.
A Look Back: The Church's History
The very first church here might have been a Saxon one. The base of the current church was built in the Norman style. This happened in the 11th century. Two local landowners, Edward of Salisbury and William II, Count of Eu, helped pay for it. The church is named after a Norman saint, St. Cyriac. Inside, you can see many old memorials for important local families.
The church was partly rebuilt in the 14th century. It got new windows with fancy designs. Lacock was a busy market town back then. It was on a main route for moving sheep from Bath to London. Because of this, the town had a lot of money. So, a much bigger rebuild happened in the 15th century. This created the church we see today. It has a traditional cross shape and a style called Perpendicular. A special chapel was also added, paid for by the Bonham and Croke families.
In 1604, the church's tower was rebuilt. Later, a small two-story building, called the "cottage" or south annex, was added. After he died in 1636, Sir Robert Baynard was remembered with special brass plaques on the church floor. (These were once stolen but quickly returned!) The front part of the church, called the chancel, was rebuilt in 1777.
In the late 1800s, the Baynard family, who owned Lackham House, completely rebuilt their family chapel inside the church. They also put a new roof on one part of the church. In 1861, the Baynard family again paid for more restoration work. An architect named A.W. Blomfield made many changes. He raised the roofs, added a new front, and removed old wooden pews. In 1902, Sir Harold Brakspear updated the church again. He wanted it to look nice for his friend, William Henry Fox Talbot, who was a famous photography pioneer living nearby.
In 1960, the church was given a special status. It was named a Grade I listed building. This means it is very important and protected.
The Church Today
In recent years, the church has had many improvements. These projects were made possible by donations from people and groups. The Friends of Lacock Church and the Lacock Parochial Church Council (LPCC) helped organize these efforts. For example, the main roof and a side roof were repaired in 2006.
The Famous Lacock Cup
Until 1962, the church was home to a very special silver cup. It is called the Lacock Cup. This cup is from the mid-1400s. Experts say it is "one of the most important pieces of old English silver." In 1962, it was lent to the British Museum.
In 2009, the LPCC had the cup valued at £1.8 million. After getting permission in 2012, the cup was sold. The British Museum and the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes bought it together. The money from the sale is being used to help fix up St Cyriac's Church. As part of the deal, two copies of the cup will be made. One copy will be used for church services. The other will be shown at the Wiltshire Museum when the original is not there.
