St James' Church, Cardington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St James' Church, Cardington
St James' Church, Cardington, from the southwest
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
OS grid reference	SO 506 952
Location	Cardington, Shropshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Cardington, St James
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	13 June 1958
Architect(s)	Henry Curzon (restoration)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Norman, Gothic
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone, tiled roofs
Administration
Parish	Cardington
Deanery	Condover
Archdeaconry	Ludlow
Diocese	Hereford
Province	Canterbury

St James' Church is a very old and important church located in the village of Cardington, England. It's an active Anglican church, which means it's part of the Church of England. This church is so special that it's officially protected as a Grade I listed building. This means it's of exceptional historical interest and is very important to England's heritage.

History of St James' Church

The story of St James' Church goes back a long time. Records show there was a church here even before the Domesday Book was written. The Domesday Book was a huge survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror in 1085.

Who Built the Church?

In 1167, the village of Cardington, including its church, was given to the Knights Templar. These were a famous group of Christian knights. They started building the church you see today in the late 1100s.

How the Church Grew Over Time

Over the next few centuries, the church changed and grew.

• In the 1200s, the chancel (the part of the church where the altar is) was rebuilt and made longer. The tower was also added around this time.
• More parts were added and changed over the next 300 years.
• The porch, which is the covered entrance, was added in 1639.

Victorian Changes

Between 1852 and 1868, the church went through a big "restoration." This means it was repaired and updated. During this time, a gallery inside the church was removed. Also, a new, much larger arch was put in where the Norman chancel arch used to be. This work was done by an architect named Henry Curzon.

What Does St James' Church Look Like?

Let's take a closer look at the church's design and features.

Outside the Church

The main part of the church is built from sandstone rubble (rough stones) with smooth stone details. The roofs are covered with tiles. The tower is covered in a special cement and then painted white. The porch is made of timber (wood).

The church has a main area called the nave, a south porch, a chancel, and a tower at the west end.

The Tower

The tower has three levels and a battlemented top, which looks like the top of a castle wall. It has a pointed roof with a weathervane on top.

• On the bottom level, there's a tall, narrow window called a lancet window on the west side.
• The middle level has two lancet windows side-by-side under arches. The one on the south side is covered by a clock.
• The bell openings, where the bells are, have wooden slats called louvres and are also in pairs under arches.

Windows and Doors

The nave has some original Norman windows and doorways. Some of these are now blocked up. The south doorway has a door from 1648. In the chancel, you'll find lancet windows and windows with two lights (sections) that have Y-shaped stone patterns called tracery. The east window, at the very end of the church, has three stepped lancet windows under one arch.

Inside the Church

The inside of St James' Church has many interesting historical features.

Chancel Features

In the chancel, there's a special basin from the 1200s called a double piscina. It was used for washing sacred vessels. There's also a square cupboard called an aumbry, used for storing holy items. The reredos, which is a decorative screen behind the altar, stretches across the whole width of the church. It's covered in colorful encaustic tiles that show pictures of the apostles.

Pulpit and Font

The pulpit, where sermons are given, is in a style called Jacobean. It has interesting, rough carvings of mermen (half-man, half-fish creatures). The stone font, used for baptisms, was made in 1868.

Stained Glass Windows

The church has beautiful stained glass windows:

• The east window, made in 1914, remembers Violet Christie and her husband Captain Stephen Christy, who died in World War I. It was made by a company called Powells.
• In the nave, there's another stained glass window from 1955, designed by Edward Payne.

Monuments and Music

The oldest monument in the church is for Chief Justice William Leighton, who passed away in 1607. The church also has a two-manual pipe organ built around 1985 by George Sixsmith. It uses some older pipes.

The Bells

St James' Church has a ring of eight bells.

• The oldest bell was made in 1626.
• Another old bell was made in 1752.
• Two bells were made in 1887.
• The newest four bells were made by John Taylor and Company, two in 1990 and two in 2005.

Outside the Church Grounds

The churchyard has three other important structures that are also protected as Grade II listed buildings.

The Sundial

To the south of the church, there's a sundial from the mid-1700s. It stands on two round stone steps and has a decorative stone pillar. On top, there's a copper dial and a gnomon (the part that casts the shadow to tell the time).

Tombs and Memorials

• Nearby, there's a pedestal tomb from 1831 for Richard Butler.
• There's also a group of five chest tombs from the late 1700s and early 1800s.
• The parish war memorial, a white marble cross, was put up in 1922. It lists 14 men who died in World War I and one man who died in World War II.

See also

• Grade I listed churches in Shropshire
• Listed buildings in Cardington, Shropshire