St Mary's and St Julian's Church, Maker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's and St Julian's Church, Maker |
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| 50°20′50″N 4°11′06″W / 50.3472°N 4.1850°W | |
| Location | Maker, Cornwall, England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
St Mary's and St Julian's Church is a special old church in Maker, Cornwall, England, UK. It's a Church of England parish church, which means it's a local church for the people living nearby. This church is very old, dating back to the 15th century (that's over 500 years ago!). Because it's so important historically, it's been a Grade I listed building since 1968. This means it's one of the most important historic buildings in England.
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History of the Church
The church you see today was mostly built in the 15th century. However, some parts, like the main hall (called the nave) and the area around the altar (called the chancel), might be even older. We know there was a church here as far back as the 12th century!
Because the church is built in a high place, it has always been a helpful landmark for sailors navigating the sea. In the 18th century and during the Napoleonic Wars, its tall tower was even used as a signal station by the Navy to send messages.
Big Changes in the 1870s
Around 1873 and 1874, the church had a huge makeover, known as a Victorian restoration. Many parts of the building were getting old and falling apart, including the windows, seats, roof, and floor.
The local vicar, Rev. F. T. Wintle, started raising money in 1866 to fix everything. A committee was formed, and a famous architect named James Piers St Aubyn was hired. A builder named Philip Blowey did the actual work. It cost a lot of money, about £1,662, plus another £75 for a new heating system! Important people like the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and Lord Clinton helped pay for it.
During this big renovation, the whole church got a new roof. The inside was completely redone with new wooden seats made of pitch pine. The chancel area was refitted with special wood panels, and the floor was laid with beautiful patterned tiles. They also removed old balconies (galleries) and added a new section called the south aisle, which has arches made of granite. While working, they even found an old fireplace and used its chimney for the new heating system!
The Earl of Mount Edgcumbe also asked for a special stained-glass window to remember his family members.
The church officially reopened on June 18, 1874. Important guests, including the Bishop of Exeter, Frederick Temple, and the Earl's family, attended the event. A year later, in 1875, the church got a new organ, which cost £230 and was built by a company called Messrs Hele & Co from Plymouth.
To help people who lived further away, two smaller churches, called "chapels of ease," were opened. One was at the new Cremyll Schoolroom in 1867, and another, St Paul's, opened in 1882 in the village of Kingsand.
How the Church is Built
St Mary and St Julian's Church is built using local red sandstone, with details made from granite. It's designed in a style called the Perpendicular style, which was popular for churches a long time ago.
The church has several main parts:
- A central hall called the nave.
- Sections on either side of the nave called the north and south aisles.
- The chancel, which is the area around the altar.
- A north transept, which holds the vestry (where the clergy get ready) and the organ.
- A south porch at the entrance.
- A tall, three-stage tower at the west end.
The south aisle was added during the 1873–74 restoration and is known as the Edgcumbe Chapel.
Inside, you'll find a very old stone basin called a font, which is used for baptisms. It's from the 12th century and used to be in another church called St Merryn. Above the entrance, there's a sundial from 1768, which tells time using the sun. In the porch, there's a holy water stoup (a small basin for holy water) that was found in the churchyard in 1923. The tower has six bells, which were remade in 1808 but are even older than that.
Memorials and Monuments
The church has many old monuments and tablets inside, remembering people from hundreds of years ago. These include stone slabs on the floor and carved tablets on the walls. For example, in the Edgcumbe Chapel, there are memorials for members of the Edgcumbe family, who were important local landowners.
Churchyard Graves
The churchyard, which is the graveyard around the church, also has many old headstones and monuments. In 1987, several of these headstones were also given a special Grade II listing, meaning they are important historic items. They include graves for people like William Little from 1735 and Mary Lawrence from 1797, showing how long people have been buried here. Other listed monuments include chest tombs (like stone boxes) and an obelisk (a tall, thin monument).
