St Mary's Church, Derwen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Derwen
St Mary's Church, Derwen, undergoing repair
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OS grid reference	NZ 274 513
Location	Derwen, Denbighshire
Country	Wales
Denomination	Church in Wales
Website	Friends of Friendless Churches
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	19 July 1966
Architect(s)	Henry Kennedy (restoration)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic
Groundbreaking	13th century
Closed	1988–99
Specifications
Materials	Body of church gritstone, porch shale, roof slate

St Mary's Church, Derwen, is a very old church located in the heart of Derwen village in Denbighshire, Wales. It's no longer used for regular church services, but it's a really important historical building. Cadw, a Welsh organization that protects historic sites, has given it a special Grade I listing. This means it's one of the most important buildings in Wales. Today, a charity called the Friends of Friendless Churches looks after it.

History of the Church

The main part of St Mary's Church was built a long, long time ago, probably in the 13th century (that's the 1200s!). The churchyard around it is round, which often means there was an even older church here before this one.

Over the centuries, people added new parts and changed things. Some parts, like the east window, the roof, and a special wooden screen called a rood screen, are from before the Protestant Reformation (a big change in how churches were run in the 1500s). The small tower where the bell hangs, called a bellcote, was added in 1688.

In 1857, the church got a big makeover by an architect named Henry Kennedy. This cost about £750 back then. As part of this work, a gallery at the west end of the church was removed. In 1907, beautiful patterned tiles were put down in the sanctuary, which is the area around the altar.

The church stopped being used for regular worship in 1998–99. In 2000–01, the Friends of Friendless Churches charity took over its care. They have a very long lease, for 999 years, starting from December 1, 2002.

Church Design and Features

How the Church is Built

The main part of the church is made from a local stone called gritstone. The entrance porch is built from shale, and the roof is covered with slate tiles. The church has a simple layout: a long main hall called the nave and a chancel (the area near the altar) that flow into each other. There's also a porch on the south side and a small section on the north side called a transept. This transept was once a staircase to the rood screen's upper level, but later it was used as a chimney!

At the west end of the church, there's a bellcote with a weathervane on top. On the pointed tops of the north and east walls, you can see crosses. A large support, called a buttress, helps hold up the west wall.

The east window is very old and has five wide sections. It's built in a style called Perpendicular Gothic. In the south wall of the chancel, there's a window with three sections, and in the north wall, a smaller one with two. Most of the other windows were added in the 1800s. The church has one bell, which was made in 1751.

Inside the Church

The floor in the nave is made of stone flags, while the chancel has a wooden floor. The sanctuary area has those special patterned tiles.

The most amazing thing inside the church is the rood screen. This is a beautifully carved wooden screen that still has its upper walkway, called a loft. It's decorated with detailed Perpendicular style carvings.

The baptismal font (where baptisms take place) is from 1665. The rest of the church furniture, like the large, carved, eight-sided pulpit (where sermons are given), the oak altar, and another eight-sided font, are from the 1800s. The colorful stained glass in the south chancel window is also special. It was designed by H. E. Wooldridge and made by James Powell and Sons in 1869. It shows scenes like the birth of Jesus (the Nativity), his coming back to life (the Resurrection), and his going up to heaven (the Ascension).

Other Buildings Nearby

In the churchyard, there's an old Gothic-style cross from before the Reformation. It has a tall, rectangular stone shaft on a simple base, with a carved top. The north and south sides of the top have single carved spaces, called niches, and the east and west sides have double niches. They all have fancy pointed arches above them and contain images that are now worn down by time. This cross is also very important, listed as Grade II*, and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

You can also find a sundial in the churchyard, which tells time using the sun. It's from the 1700s or 1800s. It's made of bronze and still has its pointer, called a gnomon. It stands on a limestone pillar and is listed as Grade II.

On the west side of the churchyard is a building called Church House. It's from the 1600s or even earlier. It has two floors, with large openings on the ground floor that are now bricked up. It might have been a place to store a hearse (a vehicle for funerals) or a lych gate (a covered gateway to a churchyard). You can reach the upper floor by outside stairs. This upper room was probably used as a parish meeting room or a vestry (a room for the clergy). It was repaired and got a new roof in 1905 and is also listed as Grade II.

Why St Mary's Church is Special

Cadw lists St Mary's Church as Grade I because it has an "exceptionally complete rood screen and loft." This means the church has kept much of its original look from the Middle Ages.

Edward Hubbard, who studies old buildings, said that the church is very lucky to still have its rood screen with the loft. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Historical Monuments of Wales also described the churchyard cross in 1914 as "a monument especially worthy of preservation." Cadw agrees, calling it "a fine example of late pre-Reformation stonecarving." These comments show just how important and rare these features are.

Images for kids

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  Churchyard cross with Church House behind