St Mary's Church, Derwen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Derwen
St Mary's Church, Derwen
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OS grid reference	NZ 274 513
Location	Derwen, Denbighshire
Country	Wales
Denomination	Church in Wales
Website	Friends of Friendless Churches
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	19 July 1966
Architect(s)	Henry Kennedy (restoration)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic
Groundbreaking	13th century
Closed	1988–99
Specifications
Materials	Body of church gritstone, porch shale, roof slate

St Mary's Church, Derwen, is an old church in the village of Derwen, Denbighshire, Wales. It is no longer used for regular church services, so it is called a redundant church. This special building is protected as a Grade I listed building by Cadw, which means it's very important. The church is now looked after by a group called the Friends of Friendless Churches. In the churchyard, there's also a very old and important stone sculpture called the Derwen Cross. It is also protected as a Grade II* listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

History of St Mary's Church

Building the Church: From the 13th Century

The church building you see today probably started in the 1200s. However, the churchyard is round, which often means there was an even older church here before. Over the centuries, new parts were added and changes were made. Some parts, like the east window, the roof, and a special screen called the rood screen, are from before the Protestant Reformation, a big change in the church in the 1500s. The small tower holding the bell, called a bellcote, was built in 1688.

Restoration and Closure

In 1857, the church was repaired and updated by an architect named Henry Kennedy. This work cost about £750 at the time. During this restoration, a gallery at the west end of the church was removed. Later, in 1907, special decorated tiles called Encaustic tiles were put in the sanctuary, which is the area around the altar. The church stopped being used for regular worship between 1998 and 1999. In 2000–2001, it was taken over by the charity called the Friends of Friendless Churches. They have a very long lease for the church, lasting 999 years from December 1, 2002.

Church Architecture and Design

Church Structure and Materials

The main part of St Mary's Church is built from a local stone called gritstone. The entrance porch is made of shale, and the roof is covered with slate tiles. The church has a simple layout with a main hall, called the nave, and the chancel, which is where the altar is. These two parts flow into each other without a clear dividing wall outside. There's a porch on the south side and a small room, or transept, on the north side. This north transept was once a staircase to the rood screen's upper level and later used as a chimney.

At the west end of the church, there's a bellcote with a weathervane on top. On the pointed tops of the walls, called gables, there are stone crosses. A large support, or buttress, helps hold up the west wall. The east window is very old and has five wide sections. It's built in a style called Perpendicular Gothic, known for its tall, narrow windows. Other windows in the church were added in the 1800s. The church has one bell, which was made in 1751.

Inside the Church: Fittings and Furniture

Inside, the floor of the nave is made of stone flags. The chancel has a wooden floor, and the sanctuary has those decorative encaustic tiles. The most amazing part inside the church is the rood screen. This is a beautifully carved wooden screen that separates the nave from the chancel. It still has its upper walkway, called a loft, which is quite rare. The font, used for baptisms, is from 1665. Most of the other furniture, like the large, carved, eight-sided pulpit, the oak altar, and another eight-sided font, were added in the 1800s. The stained glass in the south chancel window is also special. It was made in 1869 and shows scenes like the birth of Jesus (the Nativity), Jesus coming back to life (the Resurrection), and Jesus going up to heaven (the Ascension).

The Ancient Derwen Cross

Features of the Cross

In the churchyard stands the Derwen Cross, a very old stone cross from the mid-to-late 1400s. It is almost 4.6 meters (15 feet) tall! The cross has a long, eight-sided pole, called a shaft, which sits on a base with two steps. The top part of the cross is shaped like a rectangle. The cross is decorated in the Gothic style. The shaft has carved bumps, called bosses, shaped like crowned heads and leaves. The top part has small carved spaces, called niches, with pointed arches above them. The north and south sides of the cross head have one niche each, while the east and west sides have two niches.

Carved Figures and Their Meanings

Inside these niches are sculptures of figures, but they are quite worn down by time and weather. People believe these sculptures show different religious scenes. On the north side, it might be the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. On the east side, it could be the Coronation of the Virgin (Mary being crowned in heaven) or God the Father sitting in glory. The south side might show Lady Justice or an angel holding scales, possibly St Michael at the Last Judgment. Finally, the west side is thought to show the Crucifixion of Jesus (Jesus on the cross) with Mary and St John the Apostle.

This cross is very important, which is why it's listed as Grade II* and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The Churchyard Sundial

Also in the churchyard, there is a sundial from the 1700s or 1800s. It is made of bronze and still has its pointer, called a gnomon. It stands on a limestone pillar and is listed at Grade II.

Church House Building

On the west side of the churchyard, there's another old building called Church House. It dates back to the 1600s or even earlier. It has two floors. The ground floor used to have large openings on the north and south sides, which are now filled in. It's thought that this part might have been a place to keep a hearse (a vehicle for funerals) or a lych gate (a covered gateway to a churchyard). You can reach the upper floor by outside stairs. This upper room was likely used as a parish room for meetings or a vestry for the clergy. Church House was repaired and given a new roof in 1905, and it is also listed at Grade II.

Why St Mary's Church is Special

St Mary's Church is listed as a Grade I building by Cadw because it has a "very complete rood screen and loft." This means it still has many of its original features from the medieval period. An expert in church history, Edward Hubbard, said that the church is lucky to have its rood screen with the loft still there, as this is very rare. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales described the churchyard cross in 1911 as "a monument especially worthy of preservation." Cadw also calls it "a fine example of late pre-Reformation stonecarving," meaning it's a beautiful and important piece of art from before the big changes in the church.

Images for kids

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  Derwen Cross, with the church behind

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  Detail of the east side of the cross head