St Mary's Church, East Ruston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, East Ruston |
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St Mary's Church, East Ruston, from the southeast
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| OS grid reference | TG 364 287 |
| Location | East Ruston, Norfolk |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 16 April 1955 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint and brick |
St Mary's Church in East Ruston, Norfolk, England, is a very old church that is no longer used for regular services. It is an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England. This special building is protected as a Grade II* listed building, which means it's very important historically or architecturally. The Churches Conservation Trust looks after it.
You can find St Mary's Church in a quiet spot, about 2 km (1.2 mi) north of Stalham, right next to the B1159 road. One of the most interesting things about the church is its beautiful 15th-century screen inside, which has paintings and carvings.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
This church was first built in the 1300s. Over the years, it has been changed and updated many times. In the 1400s, it got a big makeover. Later, in 1778, the north aisle (a side part of the church) was taken away.
More recently, parts of the church were repaired. The chancel (the area around the altar) was fixed up in 1887. The tower, which is the tall part of the church, was also repaired between 1985 and 1986. Even though regular services don't happen here anymore, people still gather for a special carol service every December.
Exploring the Architecture
St Mary's Church is a great example of old English church building. Let's look at its different parts.
Outside the Church
The church is mostly built from flint stones, with special cut stones called ashlar used for details. However, the north wall is made of brick. The main part of the roof, over the nave, is made of tiles. The side aisle and the chancel have lead roofs.
The church has a main hall called the nave, with five sections. There's a side aisle on the south, which has a small chapel at its eastern end. You enter through a south porch. The chancel, near the altar, has two sections.
The tower at the west end has three levels. It has strong corner supports called buttresses and a decorative top edge called a battlemented parapet. The bottom of the tower has two windows, one above the other, but the top one is blocked up. The middle level has narrow windows called lancet windows; the one on the north side is also blocked. There's a round clock face above the window on the south side. The openings for the bells at the very top have two parts.
A blocked-up window in the west wall of the aisle dates back to about 1340. The south porch has a pointed roof and a small space, or niche, where a statue might have once stood. Along the south wall of the aisle, there are three large windows from the 1400s, each with three sections. There's also one window from the 1700s with two sections. The window at the east end of the aisle has three sections and is from the 1400s. The south wall of the chancel has two windows, each with two sections, and the east window has five sections. The north wall of the chancel has one blocked window. The north wall of the nave has three windows that were moved from the old north aisle.
Inside the Church
Inside, the south arcade (a row of arches) has five sections. These arches are held up by eight-sided pillars called piers. In the south chapel, there's a raised platform with two steps and a piscina (a basin used for washing sacred vessels). Another piscina is in the south wall of the chancel.
The most famous feature is the chancel screen. It has five sections with arched openings. On the west side, each side section has two panels with paintings of figures. On one side, you can see the Four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). On the other side are four important early church leaders: Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine, Saint Jerome, and Saint Gregory. On the east side of the screen, there are carvings of lions. Above these panels, you can see fancy arched patterns.
The font, where baptisms take place, is from the 1400s and was repaired in 1884. It stands on three eight-sided steps. The font itself has an eight-sided bowl on a central support. At the bottom of this support, there are carvings of strange, funny creatures called grotesque beasts. The bowl is held up by angels, and its panels are carved with symbols that represent the Evangelists.
See also
