St John the Baptist's Church, Avon Dassett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John the Baptist's Church,Avon Dassett |
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St John the Baptist's Church, Avon Dassett,
from the southeast |
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| OS grid reference | SP 411 500 |
| Location | Avon Dassett, Warwickshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | John the Baptist |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 30 May 1967 |
| Architect(s) | Charles Buckeridge |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1868 |
| Closed | 11 May 1983 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, tiled roofs |
St John the Baptist's Church is a historic building in the small village of Avon Dassett, Warwickshire, England. It used to be an Anglican church, but it is no longer used for regular church services. This means it is a "redundant" church. It is a very important building, listed as a Grade II* listed building. This special status helps protect its history and design. The church is now looked after by The Churches Conservation Trust, an organization that saves old churches.
Contents
History of the Church
The church you see today was built in 1868. It stands on the same spot where an even older church once stood. That first church was built a very long time ago, during the Norman period in England. The person who designed the current church was an architect named Charles Buckeridge.
The church stopped being used for regular services on 11 May 1983. After that, it was given to the Churches Conservation Trust. Even though it's not a regular church anymore, it's still a busy place! People sometimes use it for concerts or other community events.
Between 2007 and 2008, a lot of work was done to fix the church's tall spire. This project cost about £700,000. Because of this repair work, the church bells were able to ring again on 21 February 2009. It was the first time they had rung in many decades!
Church Design and Features
The church is built from a type of stone called Hornton sandstone. Its roofs are covered with tiles. The church has a main area called the nave, which is like a big hall. It also has a north aisle (a side passage) and a porch on the south side. There's a chancel (the area near the altar) with a room for the organ on the north side. At the west end, there's a tall tower with a spire.
The church's style is called Gothic Revival. This means it looks like churches built in the early 1300s. Most of the stone used for the church was new. However, some small pieces from the older 12th-century church were used too.
Outside the Church
The tower has three main parts. It has strong supports called buttresses at its corners. There's also a small stair turret (a mini-tower) on the southeast side. The lowest part of the tower has a large window with four sections. This window used to be the east window of the older church. The middle part of the tower has a single window, and the top part has openings for the bells. A very tall, eight-sided spire sits on top of the tower.
The nave, the main part of the church, is about 13.4 meters (44 feet) long and 5.2 meters (17 feet) wide. On its south wall, you'll find the porch and three windows. One window has a single section, and the others have two sections. The north aisle is about 3 meters (10 feet) wide and has three windows, each with two sections.
The chancel, where the altar is, is about 10.4 meters (34 feet) long and 4.9 meters (16 feet) wide. Its east window has three sections. The other windows in the chancel have two sections. There are two on the north side and three on the south side.
Inside the Church
Inside, the north aisle is separated from the nave by a row of arches called an arcade. These arches are in the Norman style, which means they are rounded and supported by round pillars.
In the north wall of the chancel, there's a special space holding a stone coffin from the 1200s. The coffin lid has a detailed carving of a deacon. A deacon is a type of church official. The carving shows him wearing special church clothes. People believe this is the coffin of Hugh, who was a rector (a type of priest) at the church and died around 1240.
All the furniture inside the church, like the font (where baptisms happen), was made when the current church was built. The font is made of grey marble. In the sanctuary (the area around the altar), there's an oak altar and wooden seats for the choir. There's also a stone seat for three people called a sedilia. Behind the altar, there's a decorated screen called a reredos, made of grey Purbeck marble, with a cross in the middle.
You can also find memorials inside the church from the 1700s and 1800s. The west window has a few small pieces of old glass from the 1400s. The church has a ring of five bells, made by William Blews of Birmingham. Work has been done to keep these bells in good condition. The church's official records, called parish registers, go all the way back to 1559!
Outside the Churchyard
In the churchyard, which is the area around the church, there are six old headstones and one chest tomb. Each of these is also a Grade II listed building, meaning they are important historical objects. The headstones date from 1681, 1687, 1699, 1706, and 1719, with one from the mid-to-late 1600s. The chest tomb is from the middle of the 1600s.
See also
