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, England. It is no longer used for regular church services. This church is listed as a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historic site. The Churches Conservation Trust looks after it today.
History of St John's Church
When was St John's Church built?
The church first started being built in the 1100s. Some parts of that original building are still there today. The church's tall tower was built sometime before the 1400s. Most of the rest of the church was built during the 1400s and finished in 1451.
How did the town affect the church?
During the 1400s, Stamford was a busy and rich town. It was famous for its wool and cloth trade. In 1461, during the Wars of the Roses, the town was badly damaged. However, St John's Church was lucky and stayed safe.
What changes happened over time?
The frame that holds the bells was rebuilt between 1680 and 1710. The inside of the church was updated in the 1700s. In 1856, a local architect named Edward Browning helped restore the church. He had also worked on other churches nearby.
More restoration work happened later. In 1867, and then again from 1897 to 1899, Browning's painted designs in the chancel (the area around the altar) were removed. In 1903, a vestry (a room for clergy and church items) was added.
Why were there repairs in the 1950s?
From 1950 to 1953, part of the north arcade (a row of arches) had to be rebuilt. This was because the ground underneath had sunk. This sinking happened when old burial vaults (underground tombs) collapsed. The top edge of the tower, called the parapet, was also fixed.
What is the church's status today?
In 2003, St John's Church was officially declared "redundant." This means it is no longer used for regular worship. Since then, more repairs have been done to keep this historic building safe.
Architecture and Design
What is the church made of?
St John's Church is built from limestone blocks, which are carefully cut and shaped. Its roofs are made of lead. The church's design is in the Perpendicular style, which was popular in England in the late Middle Ages.
What does the outside look like?
The church has a main area called the nave. On either side of the nave are aisles, and above them is a row of windows called a clerestory. There's a porch on the south side. The chancel has chapels on its north and south sides. A vestry is on the south side. The tower is at the west end, built into the north aisle.
The tower has five levels. It has strong buttresses (supports) at its corners. The top of the tower has a battlement (a wall with gaps for defense) and tall, pointed pinnacles. The openings for the bells have two sections. The chancel, nave, and aisles also have battlements. All the windows were added in the 1400s. The south porch is not very deep but is beautifully decorated. It also has a battlement, pinnacles, and gargoyles (carved stone figures).
What can you see inside?
Most of the church's inside and its fittings are from the 1400s. Only a small part of the original 1100s building remains. The roof of the nave is very detailed, with carved angels on the bosses (decorative knobs).
The font (a basin for baptisms) is shaped like an octagon. It has a cover from the 1600s with a cone-shaped spire and crockets (small, leaf-like carvings). There are two piscinas (small basins for washing sacred vessels), one in the chancel and one in the south aisle. The pulpit (where sermons are given) was added in 1953. The benches in the nave and the choir stalls were designed by Edward Browning. There are also decorative screens from the 1400s between the aisles and chapels.
What about the windows and other features?
Some of the stained glass windows are from 1451. They were cleaned and put back in 1974. Other windows are from the 1800s and 1900s. These include the east and west windows by Francis Wilson Oliphant (1856) and windows by other famous artists like Heaton, Butler and Bayne and Clayton and Bell.
You can also see old memorials inside. There's a brass (a metal plaque) from 1489. There are also stone tablets on the walls from the 1700s and early 1800s. The church's organ was built in 1870 by Bevington. It was later updated in 1974. The church has a ring of four bells. The oldest bell is from 1550. Two bells were made in 1561, and the fourth bell is from 1814.
See also
