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 an old Anglican church in the village of Avon Dassett, Warwickshire, England. It is no longer used for regular church services. This church is a very important building. It is listed as a Grade II* listed building. This means it has special historical or architectural importance. The Churches Conservation Trust now takes care of it.
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 era. The person who designed the current church was an architect named Charles Buckeridge.
The church stopped being used for regular services on May 11, 1983. After that, the Churches Conservation Trust took over its care. Even though it's not used every week, the church is still sometimes used for concerts or other community events.
Between May 2007 and September 2008, a lot of work was done on the church's tall spire. This work cost about £700,000. Because of this repair work, the church bells were able to ring again on February 21, 2009. This was the first time they had rung in many decades!
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
The church is built from a type of stone called Hornton sandstone. Its roofs are covered with tiles. The church has a main hall called a nave. This nave has three sections, or "bays." There is also a side area called a north aisle and a small entrance building called a south porch.
The church also has a chancel, which is the part of the church near the altar. It has three bays. Next to the chancel, on the north side, is a room for the organ. At the west end of the church, there is a tower with a tall, pointed spire on top.
The church's style is called Gothic Revival. This style was popular in the early 14th century. Most of the stone used to build the church was new. However, some small pieces from the older 12th-century church were used too.
The tower has three levels. It has strong supports called buttresses at its corners. There is also a small stair turret at the southeast corner. The lowest part of the tower has a large window with four sections. This window used to be the main window at the east end of the older church. The middle level has a single window, and the top level has two windows for the bells. The tower is topped by a very tall, eight-sided spire.
The nave, or main hall, is about 44 feet (13.4 meters) long and 17 feet (5.2 meters) wide. On its south wall, there is the porch and three windows. One window has a single section, and the others have two sections. The north aisle is about 10 feet (3 meters) wide and has three windows, each with two sections. The chancel is about 34 feet (10.4 meters) long and 16 feet (4.9 meters) 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 side of the nave has three arches, called an arcade. These arches are in the Norman style and rest on round pillars.
In the north wall of the chancel, there is a special space. It holds a stone coffin from the 13th century, which is about 800 years old! The lid of the coffin has a carving of a deacon. A deacon is a church helper. The carving shows him wearing special church clothes, called vestments. He also has a tonsure, which is a shaved patch on his head that priests used to have. People believe this is the coffin of Hugh (or Hugo), who was the church's rector (a type of priest) 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, which is the area around the altar, there is an oak altar and wooden seats for the choir. There is also a stone seat for three people, called a sedilia. Behind the altar is a decorated screen, called a reredos, made of grey Purbeck marble. It has a cross in its center.
You can also find memorials inside the church from the 1700s and 1800s. The west window has a few small pieces of stained glass from the 1400s. The church has a set of five bells. These bells were made by William Blews in Birmingham. Since the church stopped being used regularly, work has been done to make sure the bells are in good condition. The church's old records, called parish registers, go all the way back to 1559.
Churchyard Features
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 items. The headstones have dates from the late 1600s and early 1700s. The chest tomb is from the middle of the 1600s.
See also
