St George's Church, Orcheston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St George's Church |
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| Location | Orcheston, Wiltshire, England |
| Built | 13th century |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Church of St. George | |
| Designated | 4 July 1985 |
| Reference no. | 1024021 |
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St George's Church is a very old church found in Orcheston, a village in Wiltshire, England. It was built a long time ago, in the 13th century, which means it's over 700 years old! This church is listed as a Grade II* listed building, meaning it's a very important historical site. Today, it is a redundant church, which means it's no longer used for regular church services. Instead, it is cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust, a charity that protects historic churches. The church officially became part of the Trust's care on October 30, 1985.
What the Church Looks Like
The church is built from flint, a type of hard stone. It has a special north door that shows off Norman architecture, a style from the 11th and 12th centuries. This door has simple columns with cool scallop-shaped carvings at the top.
The church also has a short tower on its west side. This tower has a special top that looks like castle walls, called embattled. It has a pointed roof covered with tiles. Inside the tower are three bells. These bells were made by John Taylor & Co in Loughborough after the old bells were damaged by fire. Some records say there were four bells, including one from around 1400.
The windows in the main part of the church, called the nave, and in the chancel (the area near the altar), are also from the 13th century. The tower is held up by strong supports called buttresses. Inside the church, you can see the Royal Arms from 1636. The font, which is a basin used for baptisms, looks like it's from the 15th century, but it was actually made in 1833. There's also a special painting called a funerary hatchment from the 1830s, which is a coat of arms displayed after someone important has died.
Church History and Restoration
St George's Church was repaired and updated in 1833 by an architect named Thomas Henry Wyatt. During this work, the roof of the nave was made higher.
In 1933, the church's parish (its local area) was joined with St Mary's, another church in the same village. St Mary's Church is still used for services today.
In 1988, St George's Church was used as a filming location for a BBC television series called First Born. The actor Charles Dance even rang the church's bells during the filming!
See also
