St Mary's Church, Pitstone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Pitstone |
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St Mary's Church, Pitstone, from the west
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| OS grid reference | SP 942 150 |
| Location | Pitstone, Buckinghamshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Founded | c.1250 |
| Dedication | St Mary the Virgin |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 18 October 1966 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Limestone and flint with some brick |
St Mary's Church is an old church in Pitstone, England, that is no longer used for regular services. It's a very important historical building, protected as a Grade I listed building, and looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. You can find it southeast of the village, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) east of Aylesbury.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
The oldest parts of the church, like the chancel (the area around the altar) and the north chapel, were built around 1250. Some older stone pieces found here suggest there was an even earlier church on this spot, possibly from the 1100s.
Later in the 1200s, the north and south aisles (side sections) were added. In the 1400s, the chancel was made longer, and a north vestry (a room for changing clothes) and the tower were built. During this time, the nave arcades (rows of arches) were taken down, and the north arcade was rebuilt.
The church was repaired and updated in 1893, and again in the 1900s. It stopped being used for regular church services on January 23, 1973. Since June 28, 1974, it has been cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. A local group called the Friends of Pitstone Church also helps look after it. The church is open for visitors on Sunday afternoons during the summer. Special events and occasional services are still held there.
Church Architecture and Design
Outside the Church
The church is built using limestone and flint stones. The upper parts of the nave walls and the north aisle are covered in a rough plaster. Some parts of the chancel have been repaired with brick. The roofs are made of lead.
The church has a wide nave, which includes what used to be the south aisle. It also has a north aisle, a south porch, and a chancel with a chapel and vestry to its north. The chancel is angled slightly to the north.
The tower has three levels and strong diagonal buttresses (supports). It also has an eight-sided stair turret on the southeast side and a battlemented parapet (a low wall with gaps, like on a castle). At the bottom of the tower is a west doorway, with a window above it that has three sections. The middle level of the tower has narrow slit windows on the north, west, and south sides. On the south side of the top level, there are two narrow lancet windows for the bells. On the other sides, the bell windows have two sections.
The south wall of the nave has a plain parapet, two windows with three sections each, and a part that sticks out on the east side for stairs that used to lead to the rood loft (a gallery above the chancel arch). The south porch also has a plain parapet. Along the wall of the north aisle, you can see buttresses, two lancet windows, and a doorway. The north chapel has a plain parapet and two windows in the Perpendicular style. At the east end of the vestry, there is a lancet window. The chancel is in the Decorated style, with a brick parapet that looks like castle battlements, topped with stone. It has a three-section window at the east end and three two-section windows in the south wall.
Inside the Church
Near the door in the south wall of the nave, there is a stoup (a basin for holy water). To its east, you can see the entrance to the rood loft stairs. In the east wall, there is a squint (a small opening that lets you see the altar from other parts of the church).
The north arcade has three bays (sections) with eight-sided piers (columns). In the north chapel, there is a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) with a fancy pointed top, a recess (a hollow space) in the north wall, and a fireplace from the 1800s in the northeast corner. The chancel floor is covered with tiles from the 1300s and 1400s.
The font (a basin for baptisms) is from the 1100s and has a fluted (grooved) bowl and stem. The pulpit (where sermons are given) is from the 1600s, has six sides, and a sounding board (a canopy above it to help the sound carry). The triangular reading desk is dated 1685. The altar table and the pews (church benches) are also from the 1600s; two of the pews are box pews (enclosed pews). The communion rails, from the 1700s, have twisted balusters (small posts).
The east window has stained glass from the 1800s. There is also a small brass (a metal plaque) from the 1300s showing a female figure. Above the chancel arch, there is a painting of the royal arms from 1733. On either side of it are painted panels with the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. The organ, which has one manual (keyboard), was built in 1858 by A. W. Bryant. The church has a ring of three bells, but they can no longer be rung. The oldest bell was made in 1652 by Anthony Chandler, and the other two in 1786 by Robert Patrick.
See also
