St Denys' Church, Little Barford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Denys' Church, Little Barford |
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St Denys' Church, Little Barford, from the south with the site of the deserted medieval village in the foreground
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| OS grid reference | TL 178 569 |
| Location | Little Barford, Bedfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Denys |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 13 July 1964 |
| Architect(s) | Arthur Blomfield (restoration) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Cobbles with ashlar dressings Roofs tiled or slated |
St Denys' Church is an old Anglican church in the small village of Little Barford, Bedfordshire, England. An Anglican church is a Christian church that follows the traditions of the Church of England. This church is no longer used for regular services, which means it is a "redundant" church. It is a very important historical building, listed as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a building of special interest that needs to be protected. The Churches Conservation Trust looks after it today.
The church is located west of Little Barford village. It sits on a hill overlooking the River Great Ouse. It is about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) south of St Neots.
Contents
History of St Denys' Church
The oldest parts of St Denys' Church date back to the Norman times. This was soon after the Normans came to England in 1066. These very old sections are found in the main part of the church (the nave) and the area around the altar (the chancel).
Changes Over the Centuries
Over many years, the church was changed and added to. This happened in the 1300s, 1400s, and 1800s. The tall tower and the row of windows above the main part of the church (the clerestory) were built in the late 1400s.
In 1834, a small chapel on the south side of the church was taken down. Later, in 1869, a new room for the priest (a vestry) and a space for the organ were built in its place. This was part of a big repair and update project called a Victorian restoration. A famous architect named Arthur Blomfield led this work.
Church Closure and Preservation
St Denys' Church stopped holding regular services in 1972. Two years later, in 1974, it was given to the Redundant Churches Fund. This group later became the Churches Conservation Trust, which now cares for many historic churches that are no longer used. The church was originally built to serve a medieval village that has since disappeared.
Architecture of the Church Building
St Denys' Church is built from cobbles (round stones) with ashlar (finely cut stone) used for details. Some parts of the roof are covered with tiles, while others have slate.
Outside the Church
The church has a main area (the nave) with a row of windows high up (a clerestory) and an aisle on the north side. It also has a chancel (the area near the altar) with a vestry on its south side. There is a tower at the west end.
The tower has three levels and a top edge that looks like a castle wall (an embattled parapet). It has two bell openings side-by-side and a large window with five sections on the west side. The east window in the chancel has three narrow, pointed windows called lancets. On the north wall of the chancel, there are two windows in a style popular in the 1300s.
On the south wall of the nave, there are three windows. One higher window is from the 1500s. The other two are from the 1800s, designed to look like windows from the 1100s and 1300s. The south doorway is from the 1100s. It has a rounded arch decorated with zigzag and dogtooth patterns. Its stone tops (scalloped capitals) are also carved. Next to the doorway, there's a stone that used to hold holy water. The clerestory (the upper wall with windows) has two windows on each side and a simple top edge. On the north wall of the aisle, some 1100s windows have been moved and reused, along with windows from the 1800s.
Inside the Church
The arch that separates the chancel from the nave is from the 1300s. The two arches (or bays) connecting the chancel to the vestry are also from the 1300s. The arches between the nave and the north aisle have three sections and pointed tops.
The font, where baptisms take place, is shaped like an octagon and dates from the late 1200s. It stands on five columns and still has traces of red paint. Inside the nave, there is a special metal plaque (a brass) from 1535. The wooden seats (pews) are from the 1800s.
A piscina (a stone basin for washing sacred vessels) from the 1400s has been moved to the vestry. Also in the vestry is the old rood screen, which used to separate the nave from the chancel. It was moved there in 1871, and its paintings were restored.
The large west window has beautiful stained glass from 1887, made by the Kempe studio. The east window has stained glass by Clayton and Bell, installed in 1869. Around the same time, Heaton and Butler painted the ceilings. A mosaic reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) by W. B. Simpson was also added.
The church has a two-manual organ, made by Nicholson of Worcester, bought in 1870. There is also a ring of four bells in the tower. The oldest bell was made in 1661 by Christopher Graye. Another was cast in 1681 by Richard Chandler III, and a third in 1759 by Joseph Eayre. We don't know who made the fourth bell.
See also
