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St Mary's Church, Bolsterstone facts for kids

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Bolsterstone Church 1
The church building today
Bolsterstone Church interior
Inside the church
War Memorial Bolsterstone
The War Memorial outside the church

St Mary's Church, Bolsterstone is a historic church located in the village of Bolsterstone. This village is part of the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. The church you see today was built in 1879. However, people have worshipped on this spot for a very long time, possibly since the 1100s! It is about 8.1 miles (13 km) north-west of Sheffield city centre. The church is also a listed building, which means it's an important historical site protected by law.

A Look Back: The Church's History

People believe there might have been a small chapel in Bolsterstone as early as the 1100s. But the first official church building on this site was started in 1412. Sir Robert de Rockley built it as a private chapel.

From Private Chapel to Public Church

At first, it was a private chapel, but it quickly became a public church. This was because Bolsterstone was far from the main parish churches in Ecclesfield and Bradfield. It was much easier for local people to worship closer to home.

For many years, the chapel also served as a day school for local children. This stopped in 1686 because the building was not suitable for a school anymore. A new free school was then built nearby.

New Buildings Over Time

Over the years, the chapel was made bigger. A gallery was added, along with a roof loft and a set of bells. But by the late 1700s, the building was in bad shape. It was even considered unsafe for people to gather there.

So, in 1791, Reverend Thomas Bland decided to replace the old chapel with a brand new church. This new church was finished in 1796. Some people thought it looked "more like a factory than a church" because it was very plain.

In 1862, a house for the vicar (the church leader) was added. By 1870, Bolsterstone became its own parish, which included nearby areas like Stocksbridge and Deepcar.

The Church We See Today

The church built by Reverend Bland didn't last very long. After about 80 years, Vicar William Reginald Wilson decided to replace it. He was the vicar for a very long time, from 1867 to 1914!

Choir Window, Bolsterstone Church
The special window remembering the choir members

The current church was built in stages between 1872 and 1879. The first stone was laid in 1878, and the building was finished in May 1879. It cost £7,200 to build. The beautiful stained glass windows on the east and south walls were a gift from Rimington Wilson, a local lord. The church officially opened in June 1880.

Many important changes happened before the 1900s:

  • A new organ was put in during 1885.
  • Eight new bells were added in 1892. These bells were made by a famous company called John Taylor in Loughborough.
  • In 1897, a special gate called a lychgate was built to celebrate Queen Victoria's 60 years as queen.

In the churchyard, there are two large, rectangular stones. No one knows exactly where they came from, but they are known as the Bolster Stones.

Later Years and Repairs

In 1921, a war memorial was put up next to the lychgate. It looks like a Celtic cross and lists the names of 48 people from the parish who died in wars during the 1900s.

In the early 1950s, some lead was stolen from the church roof. The repairs that followed caused problems with damp and rot in the roof timbers. The roof timbers and slates had to be replaced in the 1960s.

However, the damp problems returned in the main part of the church. The church had to close for a short time in 1974. With financial help, the damp issues were fixed, and the church re-opened.

In July 1997, a new stained glass window was added to the church. This window remembers nine people who died in a coach crash 50 years earlier. They were members of the Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir, on their way to a music festival.

See also

  • Listed buildings in Stocksbridge
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