St James' Church, Cooling facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James' Church, Cooling |
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St James' Church, Cooling, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | TQ 756 759 |
| Location | Cooling, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint James |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 21 November 1966 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Ragstone, flint, chalk, and sandstone Roofs tiled |
| Bells | 3 |
| Tenor bell weight | 6 long cwt 3 qr (760 lb or 340 kg) |
St James' Church is a very old church in a village called Cooling, in Kent, England. It's a special building that's looked after by a group called the Churches Conservation Trust. This means it's not used for regular church services anymore, but it's kept safe because of its history and beauty. The church is located on the Hoo peninsula, about 6 miles (10 km) north of Rochester, with marshland between it and the River Thames. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered very important and protected.
Contents
History
A Look Back in Time
St James' Church was first built a long, long time ago, starting in the 1200s! More parts were added over the next hundred years. The top of the tower was finished around the year 1400. In the 1800s, the church was fixed up and improved, which is called "restored." A small room called a vestry was added, and the entrance porch was rebuilt.
The church stopped being used for regular services in 1976. Since 1978, it has been cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. A local group, the Friends of St James' Church, also helps look after it. You can visit the church every day.
Famous Connections
The churchyard of St James' Church is quite famous! It was the inspiration for the very first chapter of Charles Dickens' well-known book, Great Expectations. In the story, the main character, Pip, meets a convict named Magwitch right there in the churchyard.
In 2005, the famous musician Jools Holland got married to Christabel McEwan in this historic church.
Architecture
Building Materials and Design
St James' Church is built from different kinds of stone, including ragstone, flint, and chalk. Some parts have been repaired with sandstone. The roofs are covered with tiles. The church has a main open area called a nave with a porch on the south side. It also has a chancel (the area near the altar) with a vestry on its south side, and a tall tower at the west end.
The windows in the nave are from the early 1300s, and the windows in the chancel are from the 1400s.
Inside the Church
The north doorway of the church is now blocked up, but its wooden door, which is 500 years old, is still there and can even swing open! Inside the chancel, you can see a triple sedilia (seats for priests) and a double piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels).
The font, where baptisms take place, is from the 1200s. It has a square bowl supported by five pillars. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is from the 1700s. At the back of the church, there are six wooden benches that might be from the 1300s. Most of the other benches were replaced in 1869.
On the floor of the nave, there are four special memorial slabs. One of them is from 1611. Another remembers Feyth Brook, who passed away in 1508. She was married to Thomas Brook, Lord Cobham, who lived in Cooling Castle.
The inside of the vestry is completely covered with cockle shells! These shells are a symbol of Saint James, to whom the church is dedicated. The beautiful stained glass in the east window was made in 1897 by a company called Clayton and Bell. It shows the Ascension, which is when Jesus went up to heaven. The organ, which has one keyboard, was probably made around 1880.
The Church Bells
St James' Church has three bells, all made in the 1600s. However, they cannot be rung anymore. The largest bell has the words "MICHAEL DARBIE MADE ME 1651" written on it. It weighs about 6.75 long tons (6,860 kg). Experts believe the bell frame might be from the Middle Ages. The parts that hold the bells might be from 1675, which is when the newest bell was made. Even though the bells have full wheels, it's thought they were never rung in a full circle because some important parts are missing. It's possible these bells were made from older bells, or that the old-looking frame was actually built in the 1600s to look medieval.
External Features
Churchyard Discoveries
In the churchyard, there is a special chest tomb from the early or middle 1700s. It is also a Grade II listed building, meaning it's historically important.
You can also find a row of 13 small gravestones in the churchyard. They are about 18 inches (46 cm) long and are famously known as "Pip's Graves," linking back to the story of Great Expectations.
See also
