St Edward the Confessor's Church, Leek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Edward the Confessor's Church, Leek |
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| 53°06′25″N 2°01′35″W / 53.1069°N 2.0265°W | |
| OS grid reference | SJ 983 566 |
| Location | Leek, Staffordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Edward the Confessor |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 1951 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Lichfield |
St Edward the Confessor's Church is an old and important church in Leek, Staffordshire, England. It's an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England. This special building has been around since the 1200s! It's so important that it's listed as a Grade II* building. This means it's a very special historic place.
This church is the original parish church for Leek. A parish church serves a local area. As Leek grew, other churches like All Saints were built. But St Edward's remains a key part of the town's history.
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Old Church, New Look
Much of how the church looks today comes from two big "restorations" in the 1800s. A restoration means fixing up and improving an old building.
The first restoration was done by Ewan Christian in 1847. He was a famous architect who worked on many churches. The second big fix-up was by George Edmund Street. He was another leading architect who loved the Gothic Revival style. This style brought back ideas from medieval church designs.
Beautiful Art and Craft
St Edward's Church has amazing stained glass windows. Some of these were made by a famous company called Morris and Co.. Their designs include work by artists like George Frederick Bodley and Edward Burne-Jones.
The church also has beautiful examples of embroidery. These were made by the Leek School of Embroidery. This school was started in 1879 by Lady Elizabeth Wardle and her husband Sir Thomas Wardle. One of the church's windows is a special memorial to Lady Wardle.
The Churchyard and Its Secrets
The wall around the churchyard and the lychgate (a covered gateway) are also historic. They are listed as Grade II buildings. Inside the churchyard, you can find two very old crosses. These crosses date back to the 11th century, which is over 900 years ago! They are also protected as scheduled monuments.
- Cross, south
- Cross, southeast
The Amazing Double Sunset
The churchyard is famous for a special event called the "double sunset." Around the summer solstice (the longest day of the year), the sun appears to set twice! It dips behind a hill about six miles away from Leek, then reappears, and then sets again.
This amazing sight was first written about in 1686 by Robert Plot. People can still see it from Leek today, if the weather is clear. Scientists have figured out that this double sunset has been visible for many centuries. It was even visible before Christianity came to Britain. Some people think that this spot might have been a special, holy place long before the church was built.
