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 a very old church in the small village of Little Barford, Bedfordshire, England. It's an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England. Today, it's a "redundant" church. This means it's no longer used for regular church services. Instead, it's looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. This trust helps protect important old churches. St Denys' Church is also a special "Grade II* listed building." This means it's a very important historical building. You can find the church west of Little Barford village, close to the River Great Ouse. It's about 3 kilometers (2 miles) south of St Neots.
Contents
History of St Denys' Church
The oldest parts of St Denys' Church are in the main hall (called the nave) and the area around the altar (called the chancel). These parts date back to the Norman times. That's over 900 years ago! Over the centuries, the church was changed and added to. This happened in the 1300s, 1400s, and 1800s.
Building the Tower and Other Changes
The church's tower and the upper windows (called the clerestory) were built in the late 1400s. In 1834, a small chapel on the south side was taken down. Later, in 1869, a new room for the priest (a vestry) and a space for the organ were built. This was part of a big repair and update project. This project is known as a Victorian restoration. It was led by an architect named Arthur Blomfield.
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. The church was originally built to serve a medieval village. However, that village is now deserted, meaning no one lives there anymore.
Architecture of St Denys' Church
St Denys' Church is built from cobbles, which are rounded stones. It also has ashlar dressings, which are carefully cut stones used for details. Some parts of the roof are covered with tiles, while others have slate.
Outside the Church
The church has a main hall (nave) with upper windows (clerestory) and a side section (north aisle). It also has a chancel with a vestry on the south side. There is a tall tower at the west end. The tower has three levels and a top edge (parapet) that looks like castle walls (embattled). It has two openings for bells and a large window with five sections on the west side.
The east window in the chancel has three tall, narrow windows (called lancets). On the north wall of the chancel, there are two windows from the 1300s. The south wall of the nave has 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 very old, from the 1100s. It has a rounded arch decorated with zigzag and dogtooth patterns. The tops of its columns (capitals) are shaped like scallops. Next to the doorway, there's a stone that used to hold holy water. The upper windows (clerestory) have two windows on each side and a simple top edge. On the north wall of the aisle, you can see windows from the 1100s that were moved there. There are also windows from the 1800s.
Inside the Church
The arch leading to the chancel is from the 1300s. The two arches (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 octagonal (eight-sided). It dates from the late 1200s. It stands on five columns and still has traces of red paint.
Inside the nave, there is a brass plaque from 1535. The wooden benches (pews) are from the 1800s. A stone basin (a piscina) from the 1400s has been moved to the vestry. Also in the vestry is the old rood screen. This screen used to separate the nave from the chancel. It was moved there in 1871, and its paintings were restored.
The west window has beautiful stained glass from 1887. It was 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 artwork (a reredos) behind the altar, made by W. B. Simpson, was also added.
The organ, which has two keyboards (manuals), was made by Nicholson of Worcester and bought in 1870. The church also has a set of four bells. The oldest bell was made in 1661 by Christopher Graye. Another was made in 1681 by Richard Chandler III. A third bell was cast in 1759 by Joseph Eayre. We don't know who made the fourth bell.
See also
