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 is an old Anglican church in the village of East Ruston, Norfolk, England. It's not used for regular church services anymore. This special building is protected as a Grade II* listed building. It is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. The church stands in a quiet spot, about 3 kilometers north of Stalham. It is well-known for its beautiful painted screen from the 1400s.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
The church was first built a very long time ago, in the 1300s. It was changed a bit in the 1400s. Later, in 1778, part of the church, called the north aisle, was removed. The chancel, which is the area around the altar, was fixed up in 1887. The church's tower was also repaired in 1985 and 1986. Even though the church isn't used for regular services, a special carol service is still held there every December.
Exploring the Church's Design
Outside the Church: What to See
St Mary's Church is mostly built from flint stones. It also has smooth stone pieces called ashlar for details. The north wall is made of brick. The main part of the church, the nave, has a tiled roof. The side aisle and the chancel have lead roofs.
The church has a main area (the nave) with five sections. There's a south aisle with a small chapel at its east end. You'll also see a south porch and a chancel with two sections. At the west end is a tall tower. The tower has three levels and strong supports called buttresses at its corners. The top of the tower has a battlemented parapet, which looks like the top of a castle wall.
The lowest part of the tower has two windows, one above the other. The top one is now blocked up. The middle level has narrow windows called lancet windows. The one on the north side is also blocked. On the south side, above a window, there's a round clock face. The bell openings at the very top have two lights each.
The window on the west wall of the aisle is from around 1340. It has two lights but is blocked. The south porch has a pointed roof and a small niche above the entrance arch. This niche was likely for a statue. Along the south wall of the aisle are three windows from the 1400s. These are called Perpendicular windows and have three lights. There's also one window from the 1700s with Y-shaped tracery. The east window in the aisle is from the 1400s and has three lights.
In the south wall of the chancel, there are two windows with two lights each. The east window of the chancel is quite large, with five lights. The north wall of the chancel has one blocked window. On the north wall of the nave, you can see three Perpendicular windows. These were moved here from the old north aisle when it was taken down.
Inside the Church: Discoveries
Inside, the south arcade has five sections. It is supported by eight-sided piers. In the south chapel, there's a stone stand on two steps. There's also a piscina, which is a basin used for washing sacred vessels. Another piscina can be found in the south wall of the chancel.
The chancel screen is a very special part of the church. It has five sections with an arched opening. On the west side, each side section has two panels. These panels have paintings of figures. On one side, you can see the Four Evangelists. 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'll see arched tracery.
The font is where baptisms take place. It dates from the 1400s and was fixed up 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 the support, there are carvings of strange, funny-looking creatures called grotesque beasts. Angels support the bowl, and its panels are carved with symbols of the Evangelists.
See also
