St John the Baptist Parish Church, Alnmouth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John the Baptist’s Church, Alnmouth |
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St John the Baptist’s Church, Alnmouth
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| 55°23′18.52″N 1°36′44.24″W / 55.3884778°N 1.6122889°W | |
| Location | Alnmouth |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St John the Baptist |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Lesbury with Alnmouth |
| Deanery | Alnwick |
| Archdeaconry | Lindisfarne |
| Diocese | Diocese of Newcastle |
St John the Baptist Parish Church is an Anglican church in the village of Alnmouth, Northumberland, England. It serves as the main church for the Alnmouth area and is part of the Diocese of Newcastle. This church is also a Grade II listed building, which means it is an important historic building that needs to be protected.
Contents
History of St John the Baptist Church
The First Churches in Alnmouth
The church you see today is actually the third church built in Alnmouth. The very first church stood on Church Hill. This spot is famous because Saint Cuthbert was chosen to be the Bishop of Hexham there in the year 684. This happened at a meeting called the Synod of Twyford.
The first church was built by the first Norman Earl of Northumbria around the 1100s, when Alnmouth was founded. It was named after Saint Waleric. However, this church started to fall apart in the 1500s. This was partly because of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, when many religious buildings were closed down. Also, the River Aln slowly changed its path, wearing away the church. A huge storm on Christmas in 1806 finally destroyed it completely.
After that, people in Alnmouth used a temporary chapel for worship. This chapel was set up in Hindmarsh Hall, which used to be an old granary (a building for storing grain). They used this temporary space until a new church could be built.
Building the Current Church
The current Church of St John the Baptist was built on Northumberland Street. The land for the church was kindly given by Algernon Percy, 6th Duke of Northumberland. The building cost £2,595, which was a lot of money back then! This money was collected from people who donated to the project.
The church was officially opened and blessed, or consecrated, by Charles Baring, who was the Bishop of Durham, on November 6, 1876. Just two months later, on February 7, 1877, Alnmouth became its own separate church area, or parish. Before this, it was part of the Lesbury parish.
In 1878-79, a church clock was installed. It came with five bells and one smaller bell for tolling. All six bells were later melted down, re-tuned, and put back up in 1936. Only four years after it was built, in 1880, the church was made bigger. A south transept (a part of the church that sticks out, making it look like a cross) was added. This was done because more students from the nearby Seabank School needed space for their religious classes and worship. A beautiful Gothic window was moved during these changes. You can still see it outside the church today, standing as an archway facing the sea.
Architecture and Design
Outside the Church
The church is built from strong, cut stone. It has special corner stones called quoins and decorative details. The church has a chancel (the area around the altar), a nave (the main part where people sit), a north aisle (a walkway), and north and south porches. It also has a western tower with a pointed roof, called a spire, which has a decorative top like a castle wall (embattled).
The tower has three levels. The first level has a double main entrance door and a double window facing west. The second level has tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. The third level has slatted openings for the belfry (where the bells are) and the clock. The stone spire on top of the tower starts as a square and then becomes octagonal. It has small, gabled windows called lucarnes.
Inside the Church
When you enter the church through the porch under the tower, you'll see a copy of the Alnmouth Cross. The original cross was found on Church Hill in the 1780s. Experts believe it was made in the 800s or 900s. Its design is very similar to crosses from Lindisfarne Priory, a famous monastery. The real cross is now kept in the Museum of Antiquities in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The pulpit (where the priest gives sermons) is a special memorial to those who died in World War I. It is carved with images of soldier saints: Saint Oswald, Saint Maurice, Saint Martin, and Saint George.
The most impressive stained glass windows are in the apse (a curved part of the church, usually at the east end). These windows are early works by a famous artist named Charles Eamer Kempe. Most of the other windows are more modern. They show saintly monks and were designed by C. Evetts. The ceiling in the sanctuary (the area around the altar) is interesting because of its unique shape and decorations. The church organ is located on the left side of the sanctuary.
