St John and St Mary Magdalene Church, Goldthorpe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Church of St John the Evangelist and St Mary Magdalene |
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| OS grid reference | SE 46352 04559 |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo Catholic |
| Website | Parish of Goldthorpe and Hickleton |
| History | |
| Dedication | St John the Evangelist and St Mary Magdalene |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Alfred Young Nutt |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Goldthorpe |
| Diocese | Sheffield |
| Province | York |
St John the Evangelist and St Mary Magdalene Church is a special parish church in Goldthorpe, England. It belongs to the Church of England in the Diocese of Sheffield. Goldthorpe is a village near Barnsley in South Yorkshire.
Contents
Building a Unique Church
This church was built in 1916. It is an early example of a building made with ferro-concrete. This means it uses concrete with steel bars inside to make it stronger. Today, it is a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historical building.
The church was asked for by Charles Wood, 2nd Viscount Halifax. He used to own Hickleton Hall. The church was designed by Alfred Young Nutt in 1914. Its unusual Italian style is unique for a village in the Dearne Valley. This area was known for coal mining.
Concrete Construction
This was the first large church in England built almost completely from reinforced concrete. Even the main parts inside the church, like the Presbytery (a house for the priest), are made of concrete. The boundary walls around the church are also concrete.
Because this was a new way to build, there were some problems. Over time, water caused the metal inside the walls to rust. By the 1990s, the church needed major repairs. The Heritage Lottery Fund helped pay for these repairs. The church was officially opened again in June 2002.
Inside the Church
The church has several parts. It has a tower, a porch, and a main area called the Nave. There are also North and South Aisles, which are side sections. At the front is the Chancel with an Apse, which is a rounded end.
There is a special Lady Chapel on the south side. On the north side are vestry rooms.
Special Decorations
Viscount Halifax liked a style called Anglo-Catholic. This is shown in the church's Italian-style details. There is a classical baldacchino over the altar. This is a canopy supported by four black pillars with gold tops. Underneath it is a large Crucifix (a cross with Jesus on it). This crucifix is a copy of a famous artwork by Donatello.
The tower is called a campanile, like those in Venice, Italy. It has a clock with four faces, each six feet wide. There used to be chimes that could ring, but they were removed in the 1950s.
According to a famous art historian named Pevsner, the pulpit in the church is from the 1700s and is from the Flemish area.
Past and Present Features
The church used to have a smaller chapel nearby called St Michael's. This chapel closed in 1983. Its altar and crucifix were then moved into the main church, under the tower.
In 2006, a beautiful stained glass window was added. It shows the village's history of coal mining.
Lady Chapel
There is a smaller chapel inside the church. It is dedicated to St John and St Mary. During the church's repairs in 2002, two paintings above the altar were found to be very old. They were painted by an artist named Sano di Pietro. These paintings were worth a lot of money, about £300,000. They are now kept safely at York Minster.
Current Use
This church works together with St Wilfrid's Church in Hickleton. They share their care for the community.
See also
