St John the Baptist Church, Kirk Hammerton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John the Baptist Church,Kirk Hammerton |
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St John the Baptist Church, Kirk Hammerton
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| 53°59′37″N 1°17′31″W / 53.99356°N 1.29190°W | |
| OS grid reference | SE 46524 55525 |
| Location | Kirk Hammerton, North Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | John the Baptist |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Saxon Norman, Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | approx 950 AD |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Kirk Hammerton |
| Deanery | Ripon |
| Archdeaconry | Richmond & Craven |
| Diocese | Leeds |
| Province | York |
St John the Baptist Church, Kirk Hammerton is a very old church in the village of Kirk Hammerton, North Yorkshire, England. It belongs to the Church of England. This church is special because it has a tower built by the Anglo-Saxons around 950 AD. Parts of the church are even older, from the 9th century! These older parts now form the south side of the church. The rest of the building was added later. The church is connected to the local school, Kirk Hammerton Church of England Primary School.
Contents
History of the Church
The church building started a very long time ago, during the Anglo-Saxon period in England. It was first named after a different saint, St Quentin.
Building the Saxon Church
The oldest part of the church, which is now called the Lady Chapel, was likely built in the 800s. The tower was added later, around 950 AD. Much of this ancient section was made from large stones. These stones came from the ruins of the Roman city of Eboracum, which is now the city of York.
Changes Over Time
The church has been changed and made bigger several times. Some changes happened around 1150, and then again in 1834. A big expansion happened in 1892. These later works were done by Mr H. Fowler for the local lord, E. W. Stanyforth. Because of its history and special features, the church was officially recognized as a Grade I listed building in 1966. This means it's a very important historic building.
Church Design and Art
Because the church was built and changed over many centuries, it has a mix of different building styles inside. The walls of the south side are painted white, but the north side has bare stone walls. The arched walkways inside are also different in style and height. The ceiling is made of timber (wood).
Victorian Art and Features
The inside of the church is beautifully decorated. This artwork was added during the Victorian expansion in a style called Pre-Raphaelite. The door to the chapel is very old, from the Saxon period. There's also a sign that another old doorway used to be there, but it's now filled in. The main door on the west side is also Saxon. The door on the south side has been partly fixed, but most of it is also Saxon. The font, which is used for baptisms, dates back to the time of King Charles II. Some of the colorful stained glass windows were made by a famous artist named Charles Kempe.
South Chapel Details
The South Chapel also shows a mix of styles. It has small, deep-set windows called lancet windows, which are from an early English style. But it also has a large Norman window from around 1150. You can also see a sedilla (a seat for priests) and a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) on one of the walls.
The Ancient Tower
The square tower on the south side of the church is very special. It looks much like it did when it was built around 950 AD. It has two sets of windows on each side (except the east side), one above the other. These windows have a stone bar in the middle, called a Mullion. Above the windows, there's a stone line that marks the belfry, where the bells are. There are two bells in the belfry, and the roof of the tower is shaped like a shallow pyramid.
Churchyard
The church stands on a small hill where Chapel Street, Church Street, and Old Church Green meet. A brick wall surrounds the churchyard, which has two entrances and many old trees. The entrance on Church Street doesn't have a gate. The entrance on Chapel Street has a Lychgate, which is a covered gateway. Many graves are in the churchyard, including those of local men who died during the nearby Battle of Marston Moor. There are about 166 marked graves, listing 367 names in total.
