St Mary's Church, Shipton Solars facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Shipton Sollars |
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St Mary's Church, Shipton Sollars
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| OS grid reference | SP 031 184 |
| Location | Shipton Solars, Gloucestershire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | [1] |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 26 January 1961 |
| Architect(s) | W. E. Ellery Anderson (restoration) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 13th century |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Limestone, roof of Cotswold stone slates |
St Mary's Church is an old Anglican church in the village of Shipton Sollars, Gloucestershire, England. It is no longer used for regular services, so it is called a "redundant church." It is now looked after by The Churches Conservation Trust. This church is very important and is listed as a Grade I building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it has special historical or architectural value.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
The first time a church was mentioned on this spot was in 1236. It was a small chapel back then. By the 1600s, the church building had become very old and damaged. Because of this, it was closed down.
Repairs and Reopening
In 1883, a new rector (a type of priest) named Rev Charles Pugh took charge. At that time, the church was in a terrible state. It was being used as a cow shed, its windows were blocked, and trees were even growing through its roof!
Rev Pugh and his wife worked hard to fix the church. They managed to reopen it the very next year. Services were held there during the summer months. However, the church's condition got worse again, and services stopped.
Later Restoration Work
In 1929, Ernest Francis Fieldhouse, who was the patron (someone who supports the church financially), asked an architect named W. E. Ellery Anderson to repair the church once more. This work included fixing the roof and unblocking a doorway in the main part of the church. They also removed old whitewash from the inside walls.
The church was used sometimes during the 1900s. But in 2005, it was officially declared "redundant" again. On July 15, 2005, it was given to the Churches Conservation Trust. This trust hired an architect to plan more repairs. Their main goal was to make sure the building was protected from wind and rain. As of 2010, the church is open during the day. Local people help to keep it clean and cared for.
Architecture of St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church is built from limestone rubble (rough, broken stones). Its roof is made of Cotswold stone slates, which are flat pieces of stone. The church's style is called Perpendicular, which was popular in England during the late Middle Ages. The outside of the church was once covered in stucco (a type of plaster), and some of it can still be seen today.
Outside the Church
The church has a simple layout. It has a main area called a nave with three sections, and a smaller area at the east end called a chancel. There is a small bellcote (a structure holding a bell) at the west end.
- On the north wall of the chancel, there is a single, narrow window called a lancet window. It has a special shape at the top called a cinquefoil head.
- The east window has three sections and is in the Perpendicular style.
- On the south wall of the chancel, there is a doorway for the priest. Next to it are a partly blocked two-section window and another small lancet window.
- The south wall of the nave has a doorway and a two-section Perpendicular window.
- The west window also has three sections and is in the Perpendicular style.
- On the north wall of the nave, there is a doorway and a single-section window with a cinquefoil head.
- The bellcote holds one bell and has a cross finial (a decorative top) on it.
Inside the Church
The inside walls of the church are covered in plaster. Both the nave and the chancel have wagon roofs, which are shaped like the inside of a wagon.
- Near the arch that separates the nave and chancel, there is a small cupboard called an aumbry. Another aumbry is in the north wall of the chancel.
- In the south wall of the chancel, there is a piscina, which is a basin used for washing sacred vessels.
- The chancel walls are covered in wood panels. The panels behind the altar have a special carved design called linenfold, which looks like folded linen cloth.
- You can still see parts of medieval paintings on the nave walls. These paintings show texts and other designs. There are also painted crosses in both the nave and chancel.
- Above the chancel arch, the date 1212 is painted.
- The floor is made of large, flat stones called flagstones.
- The choirstalls (seats for the choir) and chairs were added in the 1900s.
- The carved oak pulpit (where the preacher stands) and its tester (a canopy above the pulpit) are from the 1600s.
- On the wall in front of the pulpit, there is an hourglass on a stand. This was used to time sermons.
- The font (a basin for baptisms) is from the 1400s. It has a simple eight-sided bowl on an eight-sided stand.
- Around the church walls, there are monuments from the 1600s and 1700s.
- The chancel windows have stained glass from the 1900s, made by Geoffrey Webb.
- The east window shows Saint Thomas and Mary Magdalene.
- The north window has the coat of arms of the Fieldhouse family.
- The southeast window includes a picture of the Madonna and Child.
See also
