St Eata's Church, Atcham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Eata's Church, Atcham |
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St Eata's Church, Atcham, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | SJ 541 092 |
| Location | Atcham, Shropshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | www.steatas.com |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Eata |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 13 June 1958 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, tiled roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Atcham |
| Deanery | Shrewsbury |
| Archdeaconry | Salop |
| Diocese | Lichfield |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Eata's Church is a historic church located in the village of Atcham, Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican church, meaning it's part of the Church of England. This church is very special because it's listed as a Grade I building. This means it's considered a building of exceptional historical importance. It is also unique because it's dedicated to Eata of Hexham, a saint from long ago.
Contents
The Church's History
People believe the very first church dedicated to St Eata was built in the 700s. However, there are no parts of that original building left today.
A church definitely stood on this spot by the year 1075. A famous writer named Orderic Vitalis was even baptised here on Easter Day that year. The oldest parts of the church you see now are in the nave, which is the main part of the church. These parts date back to the late Saxon or early Norman times.
The church tower was likely built in the 1100s. The chancel, which is the area around the altar, was added later in the late 1200s. The south porch, a covered entrance, was built in 1665. The church was also repaired and updated in the late 1800s.
What the Church Looks Like
Outside the Church
St Eata's Church is built using red and grey sandstone. Some of the large stone blocks actually came from the ancient Roman city of Wroxeter nearby! The roof is made of tiles.
The church has a main area called the nave and a chancel at the east end. There's also a south porch and a tall tower at the west end. The tower has four sections and strong supports called buttresses. At the very top of the tower, you can see a decorative band with a four-leaf shape called a quatrefoil frieze. There are also gargoyles at the corners and a low wall called a parapet with small, pointed decorations. The top of the tower has a small, pyramid-shaped roof.
The openings for the bells have wooden slats called louvres. There's also a clock face on the north side of the tower. Below this, you'll see tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. At the bottom of the tower, there's a round-arched doorway with decorative layers.
On the north side of the nave, there's a small, round-headed window that is very old. Other windows in the nave are in a style called Perpendicular Gothic, which means they are tall and have many vertical lines. The east window of the chancel has three stepped lancet windows under one arch. The windows on the north and south sides of the chancel have Y-shaped patterns in their stone frames, known as Y-tracery.
Inside the Church
Inside the chancel, there's a special space in the south wall for a tomb. The baptismal font, where baptisms take place, is shaped like an octagon and dates from 1675. The reading desk has panels from the 1600s that show scenes from the story of the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
The choir stalls, where the choir sits, have carvings from the late Middle Ages called poppyheads. They also have carvings from the 1600s. The beautiful stained glass in the east window is from the 1400s. There's also stained glass from the 1500s in a north nave window, showing a person named Blanche Parry. Other stained glass windows were made by artists like William Wailes and Lavers and Westlake in the 1800s.
The oldest memorial inside the church is from 1524. The church also has a large pipe organ with two keyboards. It was built in 1858 and has been repaired and updated several times since then. Near the organ, you'll find two brass plaques that remember the local men who died serving in World War I and World War II.
The church has a set of six bells. Four of these bells were made in 1709 by Abraham Rudhall I in Gloucester. The other two were made in 1829 by Thomas Mears II in London. In 2014, a new gallery for bellringing was put in. This new gallery replaced an older one that was damaged by fire in 1879.
Things to See Outside
In the churchyard, which is the area around the church, there are several old structures that are also protected as Grade II listed buildings. These include:
- A sundial that is probably from the 1700s.
- Several old memorials, like the Lawrence Memorial from 1789, the Howells Memorial from the early 1800s, and the Walford Memorial from 1814.
- A group of five old stone coffin slabs, likely from the 1300s.
- A group of five chest tombs from the late 1700s or early 1800s.
The churchyard is also the burial place of Anna Bonus Kingsford, a writer who fought for women's rights. You will also find five Commonwealth war graves here. These are the graves of airmen from the Second World War who came from Britain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Shropshire
- Listed buildings in Atcham
