St Mary's Church, East Bradenham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, East Bradenham |
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St Mary's Church, East Bradenham, from the northwest
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| OS grid reference | TF 931 084 |
| Location | Bradenham, Norfolk |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 23 June 1960 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint and brick |
St Mary's Church in East Bradenham is a very old church in the village of Bradenham, England. It's an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England. This special building is protected as a Grade I listed building, meaning it's very important historically. The Churches Conservation Trust helps take care of it. You can find the church at the eastern edge of the village.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
This church is really old! It was first built way back in the 1300s. Over the years, in the 1400s and 1800s, more parts were added. Some changes were also made to the building.
What the Church Looks Like
Outside the Church
St Mary's Church is built mostly from flint stones. It also has parts made from smooth cut stone and brick. The roofs are covered with lead. The church has a main area called the nave, with a row of windows high up called a clerestory. There are also side sections called aisles on both the north and south sides.
There's a porch on the north side where people enter. At the east end is the chancel, which is the part of the church where the altar is. At the west end, there's a tall tower. The tower was built in the 1300s and 1400s. It has a style called Perpendicular, which means it has tall, straight lines.
The tower has three levels and strong corner supports called buttresses. The top of the tower has a battlemented parapet, which looks like the top of a castle wall. On the west side of the tower, there's a doorway. Above it is a window with three sections, added in the 1800s. The top level of the tower has openings for the bells, each with two sections.
Both side aisles have windows with two sections on their west walls. The north porch has two floors. Next to it is a small stair turret. The porch has an arched doorway on its north side, with a three-section window above it. On the east and west sides of the porch, there are two-section windows. At the very top of the porch, there are stone decorations called finials, which are now a bit damaged.
On the north side of the church, there are two windows, each with two sections. The east wall of the north aisle has a window with three sections. The windows on the south aisle are similar. There's also an old doorway from the 1300s on the south side.
High up in the clerestory on both sides, you can see six round windows from the 1300s. These windows have a special pattern called quatrefoil tracery, which looks like a four-leaf clover. At the east end of the clerestory on both sides, there's a window with three sections. The chancel has four two-section windows on each side. It also has a door for the priest, though the one on the south side is now blocked up. The large east window was added in the 1800s and has three sections.
Inside the Church
Inside St Mary's, you'll see arcades from the 1300s. These are rows of arches supported by eight-sided stone columns called piers. There are special basins called piscinae in the south aisle and the chancel. These were used for washing sacred vessels.
In the south aisle, there's also an old stone slab that was once an altar from the medieval period. The font, where baptisms take place, is eight-sided and dates from the 1300s. It has a wooden cover from the 1600s.
You can find a monument in the chancel dedicated to John Greene and his wife, from 1684. There's also a beautiful monument from 1750 for Gisbon Lucas, designed in the fancy Rococo style.
The church's organ is very special. It was built in 1786 by Samuel Green in London. It was first at Huntingfield Hall in Norfolk. In 1883, it was moved to St Mary's Church. It was repaired in 1892 by a company called Norman and Beard. In 1940, the organ was moved to where it is now, from the south wall of the chancel. In 1999, it received a special certificate called a Historic Organ Certificate, recognizing it as an important historic instrument. There are plans to restore it so it can be played for many more years.
See also
