St Mary's Church, Acton Burnell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Acton Burnell |
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St Mary's Church, Acton Burnell, from the west
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| OS grid reference | SJ 534 019 |
| Location | Acton Burnell, Shropshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Mary, Acton Burnell |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founder(s) | Robert Burnell |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 13 June 1958 |
| Architect(s) | Fairfax B. Wade (restoration) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, tiled roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Acton Burnell |
| Deanery | Condover |
| Archdeaconry | Ludlow |
| Diocese | Hereford |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Mary's Church is a historic church in the village of Acton Burnell, Shropshire, England. It stands close to the old Acton Burnell Castle. This church is still used today by the Anglican faith.
It is a parish church, which means it serves the local community. St Mary's is part of the Diocese of Hereford. It is also connected with other nearby churches in Condover, Frodesley, and Pitchford. The church is very important historically. It is listed as a Grade I building in the National Heritage List for England. This means it is a building of exceptional interest.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
The church was built a long time ago, between about 1275 and 1280. It was built for Robert Burnell. He was a very important person who became the Lord Chancellor of England. He also became the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
Later, between 1887 and 1889, the church was restored. This work was done by Fairfax B. Wade. During this restoration, a small tower was added to the church.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
St Mary's Church is made from sandstone and has tiled roofs. It is shaped like a cross, which is called a cruciform plan. It has a long main part called a nave with a porch on the north side. There is also a chancel at the east end and chapels on the north and south sides. These chapels act like the arms of the cross, known as transepts.
A tower stands where the chancel and the north transept meet. This tower has three levels. It has a pointed roof with a weathervane on top. There is also a small window on the west side of the roof. The top part of the tower has two bell openings. These openings have a special shape called a trefoil. The middle part has round, four-leaf shaped openings called quatrefoils. The bottom part has a tall, narrow window called a lancet window and a doorway.
At the west end of the church, there is a doorway with a steep arch. Above it are three stepped lancet windows. Along the edges of the nave and transepts, you can see a row of carved stone supports called a corbel table. Some of these corbels are carved with faces. Above the outer doorway of the north porch, there is a small carved space called a niche. On the south side of the church, there is a doorway that is now blocked up. The windows at the ends of the transepts are also stepped lancet windows.
The chancel is a bit lower than the rest of the church. It has more fancy decorations. On its north and south sides, there are groups of lancet windows. There is a special door for the priest on the south side. There is also a small opening called a hagioscope on the north side. The large east window has four sections and is very detailed. It has special columns made of Purbeck marble.
Inside the Church
The roof of the chancel is from 1571, and the nave roof is from 1598. Inside the chancel, all the windows have columns made of Purbeck marble. There is a large double piscina, which is a basin for washing sacred vessels. There is also a trefoil-shaped cupboard called an aumbry. Each of the transepts also has a large piscina.
The font, where baptisms take place, is octagonal. It dates back to the 13th century. The pulpit, where sermons are given, was made in the 19th century. It uses older pieces from the Jacobean period. The floor of the north transept is covered with medieval tiles. The walls of the south transept have painted red rosette decorations from the 13th century.
In the north wall of the chancel, there is a beautiful stained glass window from 1927. It was designed by A. K. Nicholson. The north transept also has several monuments. The oldest one is from 1382. Another monument from 1632 was made by Nicholas Stone. There is also a tomb from the Elizabethan era for Sir Richard Lee and his wife. Sir Richard Lee was an ancestor of the famous American general, Robert E. Lee.
The church has a pipe organ with two keyboards. It is located in a room north of the chancel. It was built in 1973. A marble plaque in the north transept remembers Lieutenant Walter Smythe. He died in 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars. He was serving in the Austrian army. The plaque has carvings of cannons, cannonballs, drums, flags, and a castle.
Inside the church, there is also a plaque listing the local men who died serving in World War I. In the north porch, a painted wooden plaque lists everyone from the parish who served in the same war. It also shows who was wounded or died.
The church has a set of four bells. The oldest bell is from 1650. The other three bells were made in 1912.
Outside the Church Grounds
In the churchyard, north of the church, there is an old font. It is made of sandstone and dates from the 15th or 16th century. This font is said to have been moved from a chapel in Acton Pigott. That chapel was no longer used by about 1730. This old font is listed as a Grade II building.
The churchyard also contains two war graves. These are located in the south-west corner. One grave belongs to a Canadian soldier from World War I. The other is for a British soldier from World War II.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Shropshire
- Listed buildings in Acton Burnell
