St James' Church, Aslackby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James the Great Church, Aslackby |
|
|---|---|
Church of St James the Great, Aslackby
|
|
| 52°51′36″N 0°23′22″W / 52.860098°N 0.38934472°W | |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Founded | early 13th century |
| Dedication | James, son of Zebedee |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 30 October 1968 |
| Architectural type | Early English ; Perpendicular |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | limestone-ashlar; ironstone rubble |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Aslackby |
| Deanery | Lafford |
| Diocese | Lincoln |
| Province | Canterbury |
St James the Great Church is an old and important church in Aslackby, Lincolnshire, England. It is a Church of England parish church, meaning it serves the local community. The church is dedicated to James, son of Zebedee, one of Jesus's disciples.
This church is very special because it has a long history. It is connected to the Knights Templar, who were a famous group of medieval knights. The church also has some unique arch designs in its tower. St James' Church is considered a Grade I listed building, which means it is a very important historic building.
Contents
A Look Back: Church History
The church's records, called the parish register, go all the way back to 1558.
Knights Templar Connection
The first mention of a priest in Aslackby was in 1225. This priest worked with the Knights Templar. The Templars had set up a special base, called a preceptory, in Aslackby in the 1100s. They even had their own church and a round chapel. Parts of this original Templar church were still standing until the 1800s!
In 1312, the King of England, Edward II, took over the Templar property. By 1338, it was given to another group of knights, the Knights Hospitaller. The current St James' church started being built around 1300. It was connected to the old Templar property. The church was made bigger in the mid-1400s. It was also repaired and updated in 1856.
Modern Updates and Awards
On October 30, 1968, St James' Church was officially given its English Heritage Grade I listing. This means it is a building of exceptional interest.
In 2010, the church received a grant of £10,000 from the National Churches Trust. This money was for 'community' purposes. That same year, the church had a big makeover. They added a meeting room, a new kitchen, toilets, and central heating. This made the church much more useful for everyone. During the work, archaeologists found old pottery and even some human and animal bones.
An old Hanoverian coat of arms from the 1700s was also restored in 2010. It had been stored away for about 150 years! Now it is proudly displayed in the church tower.
The church's restoration was featured in Country Life magazine in 2009. The magazine praised the community for their hard work in raising money and helping with the restoration. St James' Church also won a £5,000 prize in 2012 for its amazing transformation. It was recognized for becoming a "Village Church for Village Life."
The church now hosts many events. These include concerts, talks, family activities, and even a film club. In 2012, the Lincolnshire International Chamber Music Festival held a special event there. Children could even take part in string instrument workshops.
Church Design: Inside and Out
St James' Church is built from limestone and ironstone. It has a chancel (the area around the altar), a nave (the main part where people sit), north and south aisles, a west tower, and a south porch. The church shows styles from the Early English and Perpendicular periods.
Outside the Church
The church tower was built in the early 1300s. It has two main sections. Strong buttresses (supports) run up each corner. The tower has a 14th-century west doorway with a pointed arch. Above this door is a large, blocked arch with a window inside.
On the south and north sides of the tower, there are also blocked arches. These were cut through when the north and south aisles were added later. Each side of the tower's upper section has a pointed arch opening. The south side has a blue clock with gold numbers. The top of the tower has a battlement design, like a castle.
The north aisle was built in the 1200s. It has two identical rectangular windows on the north side. The south aisle was built in the early 1300s. It has five windows, including three on the south side. The south aisle has a unique coping (top layer) with a repeated pattern.
The main part of the church, the nave, has a clerestory (a row of windows above the main roof) from the mid-1400s. It has three pairs of windows on each side. The top of the clerestory also has a battlement design. At the south-east end, there is an octagonal turret with a small spire. This turret holds stairs to the roof.
The chancel was rebuilt in 1856. It has a Collyweston slate roof. On the south side, there is a pointed doorway. The chancel has three windows on the south side and two plain lancet windows on the north side. The east window has three lights.
The church's south porch was built in the 1400s. It has a gabled roof and small crocketed pinnacles at its corners. Inside the porch, there are stone benches on either side. The main door to the nave is inside this porch.
Inside the Church
The tall tower arch, built around the 1200s, is very impressive. It has three continuous curves leading to three rounded columns. The lower part of the tower arch now has a modern wooden screen. Behind this screen is a meeting room. Inside the tower, you can see the restored Hanoverian royal coat of arms. The tower holds four bells, but only three are used today.
The nave has north and south arcades (rows of arches) leading to the aisles. These date back to the 1200s. The arches sit on piers (supports) with rounded columns. The nave roof, from the 1400s, was restored in the 1800s.
Under the tower arch, there is an octagonal font from the 1300s or 1400s. It has carved panels with quatrefoils (four-leaf shapes) and shields.
The pointed chancel arch is also from the 1200s. The chancel roof was built in the 1800s. In the chancel, you'll find the altar rails, choir stalls, a brass eagle lectern (for reading), and a wooden pulpit (for sermons). The pulpit is octagonal and has carved panels.
The south aisle has the church's south door. There's also a small door in the north-east wall of the south aisle. This used to lead to a rood loft, a high platform. In the south wall, there's a 14th-century piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels). The north aisle, also from the 1200s, has another piscina and a wooden aumbry (a small cupboard). The church organ is located at the west end of the north aisle.
Memorials and Memories
The church has several memorial tablets on its walls. In the south aisle, you can see white marble tablets for Samuel Darby (died 1819) and his wife Frances. There's also a memorial to Thomas Green (died 1793) and his wife Susannah (died 1801). Another tablet remembers Colby Graves (died 1799) and his mother Grace. The most eastern tablet in the south aisle is for Samuel Newzam (died 1826) and his family.
In the north aisle, there are memorials for Joseph Barwis (died 1828), who was the vicar of Aslackby, and his wife Bridget. Another tablet is for Colby Graves (died 1791).
On the floor of the nave, there are black memorial slabs for Mary Quincy (died 1780) and John Edward Oldham (1808-1846). The chancel has a pink marble plaque dedicated to eleven men from Aslackby who died in the First World War. This memorial is also shown in the nave with a framed brass plaque and a Roll of Honour. In the south porch, there is a handwritten dedication to all the men from Aslackby who served in the "European War" from 1914 to 1919. The church clock in the tower was put up in 1920 to remember them.
Priests of Aslackby
Many priests have served at St James' Church over the centuries. Here are some of the notable ones:
- 1225 – Geoffrey de Temple (Patron: Knights Templar)
- 1321 – Nicholas de Camelton (Patron: Knights Hospitaller)
- 1542-44 – Johannes Williamson LL.B. (vicar)
- 1557-1605 – Thomas Stevenson (vicar)
- 1605-11 – Ralph Palfreyman BA (vicar)
- 1627-62 – Baronian or Barjonas Dove BA (vicar)
- 1721-53 – Charles Bywater BA (vicar)
- 1753-94 – John Wheatley BA, MA (vicar)
- 1798-1828 – Joseph Barwis (vicar)
- 1876 – John Smithson Barstow MA
- 1906 – Robert Stanley Coupland
- 2003 – Anna K. Sorensen
Images for kids
- Gallery
-
North aisle east window
-
North clerestory windows
-
Flue from historic heating system within the north blind arch on the tower
-
South aisle from the west
-
North aisle from the west
-
South aisle and arcade from the nave
-
Nave tie beam roof
-
Pulpit
-
Eagle lectern
-
North aisle aumbry
