St Mary's Church, Hopesay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Hopesay |
|
|---|---|
St Mary's Church, Hopesay, from the northwest
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| OS grid reference | SO 389 833 |
| Location | Hopesay, Shropshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Mary, Hopesay |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 28 May 1987 |
| Architect(s) | William Butterfield (restoration) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Limestone, tile roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Hopesay |
| Deanery | Clun Forest |
| Archdeaconry | Ludlow |
| Diocese | Hereford |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Mary's Church is a special old church located in the village of Hopesay, Shropshire, England. It's an active Anglican church, meaning it's part of the Church of England. This church is very important. It is listed as a Grade I listed building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a building of exceptional historical and architectural interest.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church was first built around the year 1200. Over time, new parts were added and changes were made. For example, the tower's unique double-pyramidal roof was added in the 1600s. The chancel, which is the part of the church near the altar, was repaired and updated in 1886. This work was done by a famous architect named William Butterfield.
Church Architecture and Design
Outside the Church
The church is built from limestone rocks that are roughly shaped, called rubble. It also has smooth, cut stones, known as ashlar, for details. The roofs are covered with tiles. The church's layout includes a main area called the nave, a south porch, and a chancel. There is also a north organ room and a tower on the west side.
The tower is wide and not very tall. It has different kinds of large supports called buttresses. It also has narrow, tall windows called lancet windows. The very top of the tower has a double pyramid shape. The lower part is a pyramid with its top cut off. Above this is a section with openings for bells, which have wooden slats called louvres. A smaller pyramid roof sits on top of this.
On the south side of the nave, you can see a lancet window. There are also two windows with two sections each, featuring decorative stone patterns from the Decorated Gothic style. The south porch has stone walls on the sides. Its entrance arch is made of timber, and it has wrought iron gates. The main doorway into the church is from the 12th century. It has a rounded top and a plain space above the door called a tympanum. The stone pillar on the left side of the door is carved with leaves, while the one on the right has scallop shell designs.
The south wall of the chancel has two lancet windows and a two-section window. There is also a round-topped door for the priest. The large east window in the chancel has three sections. On the north wall, there are two round-topped lancet windows. The organ room also has lancet windows.
Inside the Church
.jpg)
Inside the church, there is a gallery at the west end. This gallery is supported by cast iron columns. The roof of the nave is from the medieval period. The ceiling of the chancel is sloped, or canted, and has paintings in the eastern section.
In the chancel, you can find a piscina, which is a basin for washing sacred vessels. There is also a sedilia, which are seats for the clergy. The church has two fonts. One is from the Norman period, and the other is from the Victorian era. The seats for the choir and the pews (benches for the congregation) are from the 1800s. They include older wooden panels from the 1600s, which are carved with flowers and dragons.
On the west wall, you can see the Royal arms of George III, dated 1776. One of the windows on the south wall of the nave has stained glass from the 1300s. Other windows in this wall feature stained glass by C. E. Kempe (from 1903) and by Powell's (from 1907 and around 1911). The east window has glass designed by Joseph Bell, made in 1858. It shows the Crucifixion. In the north wall of the nave, there is a window by Mary Newell from about 1905.
The church also has several monuments. One is a painted oval stone with a family crest, remembering Whitehall Harris who passed away in 1751. There are other memorials and tablets from the 1700s and 1800s. Another monument by Powell's, from 1904, shows Mary and John looking sad.
The church's pipe organ has two keyboards, called manuals. It was built by Peter Conacher and repaired in 1985 by Nicholson. The church also has special plaques. These are war memorials that list the local people who died in both World Wars.
Churchyard and Burials
The churchyard is the area around the church where people are buried. It contains two Second World War graves managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. These are for a soldier from the Royal Army Service Corps and a member of the ATS. The famous writer and adventurer Vivienne de Watteville (also known as Vivienne Goschen) is also buried here.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Shropshire
- Listed buildings in Hopesay
