St Mary's Church, Arnold facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mary’s Church, Arnold |
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| Website | www.stmarysarnold.org.uk |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Mary |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Arnold, Nottinghamshire |
| Diocese | Southwell and Nottingham |
| Province | York |
St. Mary's Church is a historic parish church located in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, England. A parish church serves a local community for religious services. While there isn't an exact founding date, experts believe this church was built around 1176. Written records about the church began in 1544.
The church received a big makeover between 1868 and 1869. This work, called a Victorian restoration, was led by Sir George Gilbert Scott. It involved rebuilding the bottom part of the tower and adding a new window at the east end. St. Mary's Church is also a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historical building, and many tourists visit it.
Contents
Exploring St. Mary's History
St. Mary's Church is a very old building, dating back to the Middle Ages, around 1176. It was part of a major restoration project from 1868 to 1869. This work was done by a famous architect named Scott. More restoration work happened in 1877, guided by Richard Charles Sutton.
The church building is officially "listed" because of its special architecture and history. This means it's protected by law. St. Mary's Church is important because it has been well-preserved and visited for many years. It even contains the remains of an Easter Sepulchre, which is a special place used during Easter celebrations.
The Church Bells
The tower of St. Mary's Church holds eight bells. The largest bell is called the Tenor. It weighs more than 8 hundredweight (which is over 400 kilograms!). The Tenor bell is also the newest. It was made by Taylors Eayre & Smith Ltd on April 20, 2006. Then, Pembleton's company installed it on April 28, 2007. The Bishop of Sherwood, Tony Porter, officially blessed the Tenor bell on June 3, 2007.
Graves and Memorials in the Churchyard
The churchyard at St. Mary's has many old graves and memorials. The oldest clear date found on a stone is 1690. This stone is south of the church. It marks the burial place of John, son of Sam Leadbeater. Another important person buried here was Rebecca Elley. She helped support the Free School and passed away in 1785.
The Acton family also had a special burial plot near the north gate of the churchyard. Thomas Sheldon, who fought in the Battle of Waterloo, was buried here in 1875. He was 80 years old when he died.
Mr. John Atherley was the last musician to play instruments in the old gallery of Arnold Church. He was buried on April 29, 1915, at the age of 75.
The churchyard was made larger around 1851. A story tells of a young man named John Toplis who was there when the new part was blessed. He wondered who would be buried there first. Soon after, he became ill and passed away just three days later.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Nottinghamshire
- Listed buildings in Gedling (unparished areas)
