St Mary's Church, Lower Gravenhurst facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Lower Gravenhurst |
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St Mary's Church, Lower Gravenhurst, from the south
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| OS grid reference | TL 111 352 |
| Location | Lower Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Founder(s) | Sir Robert de Bilhemore |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 23 January 1961 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Ironstone with ashlar dressings Tiled roofs |
St Mary's Church is an old Anglican church in the small village of Lower Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire, England. It is no longer used for regular church services, but it is a very important historical building. It is listed as a Grade I building, which means it is protected by law because of its special history and architecture. The Churches Conservation Trust takes care of it.
Lower Gravenhurst is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southeast of Bedford, near the A6 road. The church stands on a small hill, surrounded by fields, and you can visit it every day.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
This church was built a very long time ago, in the 14th century. It was built for a knight named Sir Robert de Bilhemore, who passed away around the year 1361. The tall tower of the church was added later, around the year 1400.
Church Architecture and Design
Outside the Church
St Mary's Church is built from rough ironstone rocks, with smooth, cut stones used for details. The roofs are covered with tiles. The church has a simple design, with the main part (called the nave) and the area near the altar (called the chancel) joined together as one section. There is also a tall tower at the west end. The whole building is about 14.8 meters (48.5 feet) long and 5.8 meters (19 feet) wide.
The tower has three levels and strong supports called buttresses on its west side. In the southeast corner of the tower, there's a round staircase tower. The lowest part of the tower has a window with three sections. The top level has openings for bells on each side. The top edge of the tower has a decorative, castle-like design. On top of the tower is a pyramid-shaped roof with a cross.
The chancel has a large window with three sections at the east end. There are also windows with two sections on the north and south sides. The nave has a two-section window and a doorway on both sides. Above the south door, there is a special carved space, called a niche, where a statue probably once stood. This statue was likely of the Virgin Mary, who is the church's patron saint. The original entrance porch is no longer there.
Inside the Church
Inside the chancel, you can find a special metal plaque, called a brass, that remembers the church's founder, Sir Robert de Bilhemore. There is also a grand monument made of colorful marble for Benjamin Piggot, who died in 1606. This monument also honors his three wives and children, and it includes family symbols called coats of arms and more brasses.
The font, where baptisms take place, is shaped like an octagon and dates back to the 15th century. Its cover is probably from the 17th century. Also from the 17th century is the rood screen, which is a decorative wooden screen that separates the nave from the chancel. You can still see traces of painted designs on it. The pulpit, where sermons are given, also dates from the 17th century and has a special "sounding board" above it to help the speaker's voice carry.
In the chancel, there is a two-section sedilia, which is a set of seats for the clergy, and a piscina, which is a basin for washing sacred vessels, with a curved "ogee" arch above it. Attached to the screen, there is a metal stand for an hourglass. This hourglass would have been used to time sermons, making sure they weren't too long! There is also a beautiful window in the south chancel, made by John Hall & Sons, showing the Archangels Michael and Gabriel.
More Information
- The Churches Conservation Trust: St Mary's Church, Lower Gravenhurst
