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St Helen's Church, Brant Broughton facts for kids

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St. Helen's Church, Brant Broughton
BrantBroughtonChurch.JPG
St. Helen's Church
Denomination Church of England
Churchmanship Broad Church
Administration
Diocese Diocese of Lincoln
Province Province of Canterbury

St Helen's Church is a beautiful old church in Brant Broughton, a village in Lincolnshire, England. It belongs to the Church of England, which is the main Christian church in England. This church is very special because it's a Grade I listed building. This means it's a really important historical building that needs to be protected.

A Look Back in Time

St Helen's Church has a long history, going all the way back to the 13th century. It is named after Saint Helen. The church was greatly updated between 1874 and 1876. This big project was led by the local priest, Canon Frederick Heathcote Sutton, and an architect named George Frederick Bodley. This kind of update is often called a Victorian restoration.

Church Building Changes

In 1874, Bodley completely rebuilt the chancel, which is the part of the church where the altar is. He also added a beautiful reredos in 1887. A reredos is a decorated screen or wall behind the altar. The church bells were fixed and made new in 1881 by a company called John Taylor & Co.

Special Metalwork

Many of the church's metal items were made by a local craftsman. The village blacksmith, F. Coldron, created the wrought ironwork. This includes the gates, railings, candlesticks, and candelabras.

The Elegant Spire

A famous expert on buildings, Nikolaus Pevsner, once said that St Helen's has "one of the most elegant spires of Lincolnshire." A spire is the tall, pointed top of a church tower. Although it was made a bit shorter in 1897, people often say it's 198 feet (60 metres) high. However, a survey in 2011 found the spire is actually 167 feet (51 metres) tall. Parts of the church are from around 1290, but most of it was built in the late 14th century.

Hidden Art and History

Inside the church, you can find some amazing old pieces. There's a German painting from the late 15th century that shows the Ascension. This is when Christians believe Jesus went up to heaven. In the vestry, which is a room for priests to prepare, there's a piece of Anglo Saxon stonework. It has a special pattern called interlace.

Under the tower, you can see parts of a 14th-century carving of the trinity. This carving is missing the top half of God The Father. Look up at the roof, and you might spot some interesting carvings called Green Man bosses. These are decorative carvings often found where beams meet.

The Church Organ

The church has an organ made by Wordsworth and Maskell of Leeds. It was put into the church in 1876. The beautiful wooden case around the organ was added later, in 1906.

The Churchyard

The churchyard is the area around the church. It contains the grave of a soldier from the Royal Armoured Corps who died in the Second World War. This grave is looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Gallery

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