St John the Baptist's Church, Stamford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John the Baptist's Church, Stamford |
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St John the Baptist's Church, Stamford
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| OS grid reference | TF 030 070 |
| Location | Stamford, Lincolnshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint John the Baptist |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 22 May 1954 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Perpendicular |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Limestone |
St John the Baptist's Church is an old Anglican church in the middle of Stamford, a town in Lincolnshire, England. It's not used for regular church services anymore, which means it's a "redundant" church. This church is very important! It's listed as a Grade I building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a special historic building. The Churches Conservation Trust takes care of it now, making sure it stays in good condition.
History of the Church
The church first started being built in the 12th century. Some parts of the building from that time are still there today. The church's tall tower was built sometime before the 15th century. Most of the church was built during the 15th century and finished in 1451.
At that time, Stamford was a rich town because of its wool and cloth trade. In 1461, during the Wars of the Roses, forces from the House of Lancaster badly damaged the town. However, St John's Church was lucky and seemed to be unharmed. The frame that holds the bells was rebuilt between about 1680 and 1710. The inside of the church was updated during the 18th century.
In 1856, a local architect named Edward Browning restored the church. He had also worked on other churches nearby. More restoration work happened in 1867. Then, from 1897 to 1899, some painted decorations in the chancel (the area around the altar) were removed. In 1903, a vestry (a room for clergy and church items) was added.
From 1950 to 1953, part of the north arcade (a row of arches) had to be rebuilt. The top edge of the tower, called the parapet, was also repaired. The work on the arcade was needed because the ground had sunk. This happened because some old burial vaults (underground tombs) beneath them had collapsed. E. Bowman and Sons did this repair work. The church was officially declared "redundant" in 2003. Since then, more repairs have been carried out to keep it safe.
Church Architecture
St John's Church is built from limestone blocks, which are called ashlar. It has lead roofs. The church's layout includes a main area called the nave. On either side of the nave are north and south aisles. Above the aisles, there is a row of windows called a clerestory. There is also a porch on the south side. The chancel has chapels on its north and south sides. A vestry is located on the south side. The west tower is part of the west end of the north aisle.
The outside of the church is built in the Perpendicular style. This was a popular style in the 15th century.
Exterior Features
The tower has five sections. It might have been changed in the 15th century to match the rest of the church. It has strong buttresses (supports) on its corners. The top of the tower has a battlement (a wall with gaps for defense) and tall pinnacles (pointed decorations). The openings for the bells have two lights (sections). The chancel, nave, and aisles also have battlements. All the windows in the church are from the 15th century. The south porch is not very deep, but it is beautifully decorated. Its parapet also has battlements, pinnacles, and gargoyles (carved stone figures that often act as water spouts).
Interior Features
Only a small part of the church's inside is from the 12th century. Most of the interior and its fittings are from the 15th century. The roof of the nave has beautiful carvings. These include angels on the bosses (decorative carvings where ribs meet on a ceiling).
The font (a basin for baptisms) is shaped like an octagon. It has a cover from the 17th century. This cover is decorated with a pointed spire that has crockets (small, leaf-like carvings). There is a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) in the chancel. Another piscina is in the south aisle. The pulpit (where sermons are given) was made in 1953. It was a gift from the people who restored the church at that time. The benches in the nave and the choir stalls (seats for the choir) were designed by Edward Browning. Between the east ends of the aisles and the chapels are screens from the 15th century.
Some of the stained glass in the church dates back to 1451. This glass was cleaned and put back in place in 1974. Other glass is from the 19th and 20th centuries. This includes the east and west windows from 1856 by Francis Wilson Oliphant. There are also windows by Heaton, Butler and Bayne and by Clayton and Bell.
The church has several memorials. These include a brass (a metal plaque) from 1489. There are also wall tablets from the 18th and early 19th centuries. The organ was built by Bevington in 1870. A third manual (keyboard) was added two years later by Hill and Son. In 1974, Hill, Norman and Beard restored the organ. The church has a ring of four bells. The oldest bell is from 1550. Two bells were made in 1561 by Newcombe and Watts. The fourth bell is from 1814 and was made by Robert Taylor.
See also
