St Martin's Church, Bole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Martin's Church, Bole |
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St Martin's Church, Bole
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| 53°22′26.16″N 0°48′39.66″W / 53.3739333°N 0.8110167°W | |
| Location | Bole, Nottinghamshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | www.achurchnearyou.com |
| History | |
| Dedication | Martin of Tours |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Specifications | |
| Bells | 3 (Temporary Unringable) |
| Tenor bell weight | 5.5 cwt |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Bole with Saundby |
| Deanery | Bassetlaw and Bawtry |
| Archdeaconry | Newark |
| Diocese | Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham |
| Province | York |
| Circuit | Retford Area |
| District | Bassetlaw |
St Martin's Church is an old and important church located in Bole, Nottinghamshire, England. It is part of the Church of England and is recognized as a Grade II listed building. This means it's a special building that needs to be protected because of its history and architecture.
Contents
History of St Martin's Church
This church has been around for a very long time! It was first built in the 13th century, which means it's over 700 years old. Imagine all the history it has seen! In 1866, the church was carefully repaired and updated by an architect named Ewan Christian.
What About the Bells?
St Martin's Church has three bells. These bells are quite old and have interesting stories.
- The smallest bell, called the treble, weighs about 4 cwt (which is about 200 kg). It was made in 1611 by Henry II Oldfield.
- The middle bell weighs about 4.5 cwt (around 225 kg). It was made even earlier, sometime after 1500, by John Seliok.
- The largest bell, called the tenor, weighs about 5.5 cwt (around 275 kg). It was also made in 1611 by Henry II Oldfield.
Today, these bells are in a wooden frame that is quite old and worn. Because of this, they cannot be rung right now. The bells are usually rung from the ground floor of the church.
Did the Church Have a Clock?
Yes, it seems St Martin's Church once had a clock! There's a space under the bells where a clock would have been. A picture of the church, given to a vicar during the Second World War, even showed a clock face on the south side of the church tower.
The Clays Group of Churches
St Martin's Church is part of a group of churches called the "Clays Group." This group works together and shares a vicar. The churches in this group are:
- St John the Baptist in Clarborough
- St Peter in Hayton
- St Peter & St Paul in North Wheatley
- St Peter & St Paul in Sturton le Steeple
- St Martin in Bole
Interestingly, the Church of England church and the Methodist chapel in North Wheatley now work together and are known as "Church in Wheatley." In South Wheatley, you can still see the ruins of an old church called St Helen's.
Who Are the Clergy?
The Clays Group of churches shares one main Vicar, who is like the lead pastor for all the churches in the group. The current Team Vicar is Rev M Cantrill. He is a minister for both the Church of England and the Methodist Church. He also looks after Grove Street Methodist church in Retford. The Clays Group also has a Lay Reader, who is a trained volunteer who helps with church services.
Past Vicars of Bole
Even though a church in Bole was mentioned way back in the Domesday Book (a famous survey from 1086), we don't know the names of most of the early clergy. For about 200 years before 1864, the vicars didn't actually live in Bole. This meant that most of the daily church work was likely done by assistant curates.
One of the earliest known vicars was Roger de Nassington, who was serving in 1317. Over the centuries, many different vicars have served the church. In 1858, Henry Stockdale became vicar. He was important because he helped start the Bole School and built the building that would become the Vicarage.
Later, Bole became part of the Retford Team Ministry, which means it's now part of a larger group of churches working together.
The Vicarage Building
Bole has a building that used to be the Vicarage, which is the house where the vicar lives. It was built in 1864. However, it hasn't been used as a vicarage since 1965. Today, it's known as "Bole House."
See also
- Listed buildings in Bole, Nottinghamshire
