St Gregory's Church, Fledborough facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Gregory's Church, Fledborough
St Gregory's Church, Fledborough, from the southwest
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OS grid reference	SK 812 721
Location	Fledborough, Nottinghamshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
History
Dedication	Saint Gregory
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	1 February 1967
Architectural type	Church
Style	Norman, Gothic
Groundbreaking	12th century
Completed	1912
Specifications
Materials	Stone with some brick Slate and tile roofs

St Gregory's Church is an old Anglican church in Fledborough, Nottinghamshire, England. It is no longer used for regular church services, which means it is a redundant church. It is a very important building, listed as Grade I, which is the highest level of protection for historic buildings in England. The Churches Conservation Trust now looks after the church. You can find St Gregory's Church at the end of a quiet lane, in fields close to the River Trent.

History of the Church

The oldest part of St Gregory's Church is the bottom of its tower. This part was built in the 12th century (the 1100s). Most of the rest of the church was built in the early 14th century (the 1300s).

Over the years, parts of the church needed repairs. In 1764, the chancel (the part of the church where the altar is) was in bad shape. It was rebuilt and made shorter. It was rebuilt again in 1890. The aisles (side sections) and the south porch were rebuilt in 1912.

In the 18th century, the church became quite famous. Its rector (the priest in charge), Rev W. Sweetapple, gave special permission for people to get married there. Many couples who had run away to get married came to St Gregory's. Because of this, people started calling it "the Gretna Green of the Midlands." Gretna Green is a place in Scotland famous for quick marriages.

In 1820, Thomas Arnold got married in this church. He later became a very famous headmaster of Rugby School. St Gregory's Church was given to the Churches Conservation Trust on January 1, 1991. This means they now own and protect the building.

Church Architecture

Outside the Church

The church is built mostly from stone, with some brick used in the upper walls called clerestories. The tower and porch have tile roofs, while the rest of the church has slate roofs.

The church has a main area called the nave. It also has north and south aisles (side sections), a south porch, a chancel (the area near the altar), and a tower at the west end.

The tower has two main sections. It has strong supports called buttresses at its corners and a pointed, pyramid-shaped roof. On the south side of the roof, there is a small structure for a bell, called a bellcote.

• The lower part of the tower has a door on the west side.
• Above the door is a narrow, tall window from the 12th century.
• The upper part of the tower has two-light windows on all sides for the bells.

The north aisle has a doorway with a pointed arch. It also has windows with three sections of glass. The clerestory walls (the upper walls of the nave) have three two-light windows on both the north and south sides.

The chancel has a three-light window on the north wall and two three-light windows on the south wall. The large east window also has three lights. The middle light is partly blocked by stone. A stone cross sits on the top of the east roof of the chancel.

The south aisle also has three three-light windows. On its east wall, you can see a blocked arch and a blocked doorway. The west wall has another three-light window.

The south porch has strong corner supports and a roof with a pointed top and a cross. Its entrance is arched. On the east wall of the porch, there is an old sundial (a device that tells time using the sun).

On the outside wall of the south aisle, there is a carved stone figure of a woman. She is holding what looks like a heart. This carving is from the 14th century and was once part of a tomb.

Inside the Church

Inside, the main part of the church (the nave) is separated from the side aisles by arches. These arches are called arcades.

• In the north wall of the chancel, there is a piscina (a stone basin for washing sacred vessels).
• Above the piscina, you can see parts of an Easter Sepulchre. These carvings show sleeping soldiers, angels, and Jesus rising from the dead.
• There is another piscina in the south aisle wall.
• Near the south doorway, you can see what's left of a stoup (a basin for holy water).
• On the south wall, there is a simple wooden alms box (for collecting money for the poor). It says "Remember the Poor 1684."
• The middle section of the east window, which is partly blocked, has a special carved space called a niche.
• The windows on each side of the east window have beautiful stained glass from the 14th century.
• The right window shows the Virgin and Child (Mary and baby Jesus), with a knight below them.
• The left window shows John the Baptist and Saint Andrew.
• There are more small pieces of old stained glass in other windows.

Most of the church's furniture, like the pulpit (where the priest gives sermons) and the eight-sided font (used for baptisms), is from the 19th century. In the north aisle, there are tombs from the 14th century. Inside the tower, you can find a broken stone figure of a knight, made from alabaster.

Outside the Churchyard

In the churchyard, there is a group of five old gravestones. They are dated between 1735 and 1737 and are also listed as Grade II historic items.

See also

• List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in the English Midlands
• Grade I listed buildings in Nottinghamshire
• Listed buildings in Fledborough