St Mary's Church, Rolleston on Dove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary’s Church, Rolleston on Dove |
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South elevation
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 St Mary’s Church, Rolleston on Dove
Location in Staffordshire
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| 52°50′47″N 1°39′05″W / 52.8464°N 1.6515°W | |
| Location | Rolleston on Dove, Staffordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary the Virgin |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Rolleston: St Mary |
| Deanery | Tutbury |
| Archdeaconry | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Diocese | Diocese of Lichfield |
St Mary's Church is a historic church located in Rolleston on Dove, Staffordshire, England. It is part of the Church of England. Some parts of the church are very old, dating back to 1130. However, it was greatly updated in 1892.
One interesting thing about St Mary's is its main entrance. It is on the north side, which is unusual for churches. The south entrance was special, used only by the Mosley family. They were important local landowners and helped the church a lot. Inside, you can see beautiful stained glass windows. Some are from the medieval period, and others were designed by the famous Victorian artist Charles Eamer Kempe. The church tower holds eight bells, with one bell being as old as 1586! St Mary's Church is a Grade I listed building. This means it is a very important historical site.
Contents
How the Church is Organized
St Mary's Church serves the local community of Rolleston on Dove. It belongs to the Diocese of Lichfield within the Church of England. The church is part of the Tutbury area and the Stoke-upon-Trent region.
By 2018, the priest for St Mary's also looked after Holy Trinity Church in Anslow and St Mary's Church, Tutbury. The church holds different services throughout the week. These include holy communion and choral evensong on Sundays. There are also midweek services and morning prayer.
A Look at the Church's History
People believe a church has been on this spot for a very long time. A priest was mentioned in Rolleston in the 1086 Domesday book. This book was a huge survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror.
The right to choose the church's priest, called the "advowson," belonged to the local lord. In 1261, Robert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby, gave this right away. But it was taken back by Edmund, Earl of Leicester in 1272. Later, in 1399, it became part of the Duchy of Lancaster, which was controlled by the King or Queen.
The Crown kept control until the early 1600s. Then, Sir Edward Mosley, 1st Baronet bought the right to choose the priest. The Mosley family had strong ties to the church. Many younger sons from the family even became rectors (priests) there. They had their own private entrance on the south side of the church. They also had special rights for seating and placing memorials inside. The Mosley family still exists today. They have the right to be buried in the churchyard. The churchyard itself stopped new burials in 1974. A new public cemetery was built nearby.
In 1929, the right to choose the priest passed to Sir C.A. King-Hardman. Then, in 1939, it went to the Martyrs Memorial and Church of England Trust (MMT). This trust is now part of the Church Pastoral Aid Society. They still have the right to suggest who should be the priest for St Mary's.
The church used to own about 44 acres of land in Rolleston and 22 acres in Anslow. It also received payments called "tithes" from both villages. These payments were like a tax to support the church. Most of this land was sold in 1881. The church was first officially listed as a historic building in 1964. It is now a Grade I listed building, meaning it is very important.
The Church Building Today
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The church building you see today was mostly built in the 12th and 13th centuries. It had a big renovation in 1892. This work was led by the architect Sir Arthur Blomfield.
The oldest part of the church is the north entrance. This doorway is in the Romanesque style and dates back to 1130. It's unusual because most churches have their main door on the south side. The church is built from sandstone blocks. It has a main area called the nave, a special area for the altar called the chancel, and a tall tower with a spire. There are also side sections, called aisles, on both the north and south sides.
The nave, which is the main part where people sit, was built in the 13th century. It is mostly surrounded by the aisles. On the south side, you can see the old 12th-century round-arched doorway. On the north side, there's a unique 17th-century window. The nave and chancel have roofs made of red tiles.
The north aisle was added in 1892. It is also known as the lady chapel. The south aisle was made longer in 1892. It includes the Mosley family's private entrance, which was built in 1821. Both aisles have lead roofs.
The tower was built in the 14th century. It stands at the west end of the nave. The tower has three levels and strong supports called buttresses. At the top, it has a fancy stone edge with gargoyles. A stone spire was added in 1892. The tower has openings for the bells and a window on its west side.
Inside the Church
The chancel has beautiful stained glass windows designed by the Victorian artist Charles Eamer Kempe. There is also a window in the south aisle with medieval stained glass. The roofs inside are supported by special wooden beams.
At the west end, there are two octagonal pulpits. One is made of carved oak, and the other is stone from the 1800s. The font, used for baptisms, is also octagonal. A wooden screen stands in front of the tower.
The inside of the church was greatly changed in 1884. New pews (church benches) were installed, using wood from the old ones. The walls were cleaned, and a gallery was removed. The tower holds eight bells. They were made in different years, from 1586 to 1929. The church also has an electric clock. The Mosley family gave an organ to the church during the 1892 renovation.
You can find several old monuments inside the church. One is from 1536 for Robert Sherborne, who was a Bishop. There are also monuments for other important people from the past. The largest monument is for Sir Edward Mosley, who died in 1638. There are also plaques for many members of the Mosley family, including Sir Oswald Mosley, 4th Baronet.
The Churchyard
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The churchyard is surrounded by a sandstone wall. It was changed a lot in the 1800s. In 1897, Sir Oswald Mosley, 4th Baronet, put a Saxon cross in the churchyard. This cross had a long history. It was once used as a paving stone and was also in the grounds of Rolleston Hall.
An iron fence was put up in 1900 to keep cattle out. In 1923, Sir Oswald Mosley, 5th Baronet gave more land to extend the churchyard. Floodlights were added in 1996, and a special yew tree was planted in 2000 to mark the new millennium. Some of the churchyard railings and a memorial are also protected as Grade II listed buildings.
A grammar school used to be in the south-west part of the churchyard. It was moved in 1837 because of damage to windows and gravestones. The school was first supported by Bishop Sherbourne in 1520. It was rebuilt in 1640 by Sir Edward Mosley, 2nd Baronet. The school closed in 1909 when a new council school opened. Now, the old school building is used by different village groups. It is also a Grade II listed building. The entire churchyard is listed as a scheduled monument, meaning it's a nationally important archaeological site.
The lychgate at the north entrance to the churchyard is also a war memorial. It was built in 1919 with money from the public and the Mosley family. It was designed by architect Cecil Greenwood Hare. The lychgate has a bronze cross and lists the names of villagers who died in the two World Wars. The side panels were replaced with new oak ones in the 2000s. The lychgate is also a Grade II listed building.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Staffordshire
- Listed buildings in Rolleston on Dove
