St Edith's Church, Eaton-under-Heywood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Edith's Church, Eaton-under-Heywood |
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St Edith's Church, Eaton-under-Heywood, from the southeast
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| OS grid reference | SO 500 900 |
| Location | Eaton-under-Heywood, Shropshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Edith, Eaton-under-Heywood |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Edith |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 12 November 1954 |
| Architect(s) | W. J. Hopkins (restoration) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone, tiled roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Eaton under Heywood |
| Deanery | Condover |
| Archdeaconry | Ludlow |
| Diocese | Hereford |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Edith's Church is a historic church located in the small village of Eaton-under-Heywood, which is in Shropshire, England. It sits on the lower part of Wenlock Edge, a famous ridge. This church is named after Saint Edith and is an active Anglican parish church. It is part of the Diocese of Hereford. The church is very important, so it is listed as a Grade I listed building, meaning it has special historical or architectural value.
Contents
History of St Edith's Church
The oldest parts of St Edith's Church, like the main hall called the nave, were built way back in the 12th century (the 1100s). The tower and the chancel (the area around the altar) were added a bit later, in the early 13th century (the 1200s). Over the years, some changes were made in the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1869, the church was carefully repaired and updated by an architect named W. J. Hopkins. This type of repair is often called a Victorian restoration.
Architecture and Design
St Edith's Church is built from stone, with a tiled roof that has cool decorative tiles and a cross on top. The church has a main hall (nave) and a chancel, which are connected. There's also a porch on the south side and a tall tower in the middle of the south side. Because the church is on a slope, the floor inside the nave gently rises from the west to the east.
What the Outside Looks Like
The tower has three main sections. At the bottom, there's an arched doorway. Above that, in the middle section, you can see a round-headed window. The top section has two-light bell openings, which are also under round arches. The very top of the tower has a battlemented parapet, which looks like the top of a castle wall. Each of the eight parts of this wall has a pointy decoration called a pinnacle. The tower is topped with a pyramid-shaped roof.
You can also see some very old Norman windows from the 12th century; two are on the north wall and one on the south. Other windows include a large four-light window and a window with a pointed arch on the north side. On the south wall, there's a two-light window. The east window has three tall, narrow windows that were added during the 1869 repairs. The west wall has a window with a Tudor-arched shape and a round design above it. The south porch has stone walls with three-light windows and a timber-framed roof.
Exploring the Inside
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The roof of the nave dates back to the 15th century. The chancel roof is from around 1600 and is lower and more decorated than the nave's roof. It has large, carved decorations called bosses that look like plants and funny faces. Between the chancel and nave roofs, there's a painted section with coats of arms.
The font, which is used for baptisms, is very old and dates back to the Norman period. It's shaped like a tub and has a cover from 1872. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is carved with detailed patterns and has a backplate from 1670.
The beautiful stained glass in the east window was made in 1869 by Frederick Preedy. It shows scenes related to Saint Edith. Other windows in the nave have stained glass by Done and Davies, from 1859 and 1869. On the north side of the chancel, there's a special four-light window from 1938. It remembers Alan Bertram Hanbury-Sparrow and his son Brian, who died in World War I. This window features figures of St George and St Francis, along with Brian's military badge and medal. It was made by the A. K. Nicholson workshops.
On the south wall, there is a plaque honoring the mother and brother of Revd C.G.N. Friedrichs. His brother, Captain Duncan Alexander Friedrichs, was killed in the Somaliland campaign in 1901. In the north chancel wall, there's a special carved space under a canopy decorated with ballflowers. Inside this space is an effigy, which is a carved statue of a person, from the early 14th century.
The church also has a ring of three bells. The two oldest bells were made in 1615 and 1622 by William Clibury. The third bell was made in 1869 by Mears and Stainbank from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
Outside the Church
In the churchyard, there are two other important structures. To the south of the church, you can find a slab tomb from the mid-18th century. To the east, there's a sundial from the early 18th century, with a brass dial dated 1721. This sundial sits on a carved stone base, which rests on a square pedestal with three round steps. The churchyard also contains a war grave for a Royal Artillery soldier who died in World War II.
See also
