St James' Church, Edlaston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James’ Church, Edlaston |
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St James’ Church, Edlaston
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| 52°58′52.83″N 1°43′54.72″W / 52.9813417°N 1.7318667°W | |
| Location | Edlaston, Derbyshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St James |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Edlaston |
| Deanery | Ashbourne |
| Archdeaconry | Derby |
| Diocese | Derby |
| Province | Canterbury |
St James’ Church in Edlaston is a historic church located in Derbyshire, England. It is part of the Church of England. This church is special because it is a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important old building that needs to be protected.
Contents
History of St James' Church
This church has a long and interesting past. It was first built way back in the 1300s! That's over 700 years ago.
Early Years and Rebuilding
The main part of the church, called the nave (where people sit), was likely rebuilt in 1682. You can even see this date carved into a stone on the outside east wall.
A Famous Resident
In the late 1700s, a man named Robert Greville was the rector (the main priest) of the church. He and his wife, Dorothy, had a son named Robert Kaye Greville. Young Robert grew up right there in Edlaston. He later became a very important person. He was a leading botanist, which means he studied plants. He was also an abolitionist, meaning he worked to end slavery.
Big Changes in 1870
In 1870, the church got a big makeover.
- An old gallery (a balcony inside the church) was taken out.
- New oak benches were put in, replacing the older wooden pews.
- The floor was paved with special patterned tiles called Minton encaustic tiles.
- New choir stalls (where the choir sits) were built.
- A new altar table and rails were added.
This big project was paid for by the rector at the time, Bishop Edmund Hobhouse. A builder named Mr. Thorley did the work. The church reopened its doors on 28 October 1870.
More Updates and a Surprise!
On 25 July 1900, another big restoration project began. The architect for this work was E. Arden Minty. He was actually the brother of the rector who was serving at the church then! The builder was William Gould.
A few years later, in 1906, something surprising happened. The Rev. F. Arden Minty was walking towards the altar when the floor suddenly gave way! Luckily, he managed to avoid falling into the hole. It turned out that an arch of a large vault (an underground room) beneath the chancel (the area around the altar) had collapsed.
Church Community
St James' Church is part of a larger group of churches. It shares its parish (church area) with several other local churches:
