St Mary's Church, Little Washbourne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Little Washbourne |
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St Mary's Church, Little Washbourne, from the south
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| OS grid reference | SO 989 334 |
| Location | Little Washbourne, Gloucestershire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | [1] |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 4 July 1960 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 12th century |
| Completed | 18th century |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Limestone, Cotswold slate roofs |
St Mary's Church is a very old Anglican church. You can find it in Little Washbourne, a small village in Gloucestershire, England. This special building is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. It is also listed as a Grade II* historic building, which means it's very important.
Contents
History of the Church
This church is super old! It was first built way back in the 12th century. That's over 800 years ago!
Later, in the 18th century, some parts of the church were changed. The north wall and part of the south wall were rebuilt during this time.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
St Mary's Church is built from limestone, which is a type of rock. Its roofs are made of Cotswold Slate, a special kind of stone tile.
The church has a simple shape. It has a main long room called a nave. There is also a smaller section called a chancel, where the altar is. The chancel roof is a bit lower than the nave.
At the end of the chancel roof, there's a small tower for bells. This is called a bellcote. It has white walls and a pointy roof.
You can see three buttresses on the south wall of the nave. These are strong supports that help hold up the walls. There's also a window and a doorway with a pointed arch. The west end of the church has similar supports called pilaster buttresses. It also has a window with a pointed arch. The north wall of the nave has three buttresses too.
The chancel also has buttresses on its north, south, and east walls. On the east wall, there's a window with a pointed arch. Look closely at the north wall of the chancel. You'll find a narrow slit window that dates all the way back to the 12th century!
Inside the Church
When you step inside, you'll see that the floor is made of stone tiles. The walls are painted white with a special paint called limewash.
The church has many old pieces of furniture from the 18th century. These include box pews, which are like enclosed seats. There's also an octagonal pulpit, where the preacher stands. It has a "sounding board" above it, which is a canopy designed to help the preacher's voice carry. You'll also see communion rails and a communion table.
The stone font, used for baptisms, is also octagonal and from the same time period. You might even spot faint traces of old paintings on the walls!
On the north wall of the chancel, there's a special monument. It's made of white and grey marble. This monument remembers William Hill, who passed away in 1786.
See also
