St Mary's Church, Long Crichel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Long Crichel |
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St Mary's Church, Long Crichel, from the southeast
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| OS grid reference | ST 978 103 |
| Location | Long Crichel, Dorset |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 18 March 1955 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1851 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint and ashlar Tiled toofs |
St Mary's Church is a historic building in the small village of Long Crichel, Dorset, England. It's an old Anglican church that isn't used for regular services anymore. Since 2010, a special group called the Friends of Friendless Churches has been taking care of it. The church is also listed as a Grade II building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's an important historical place that needs to be protected.
Contents
A Look at History
The oldest part of St Mary's Church is its tower, which was built way back in the 1400s (15th century). The rest of the church was rebuilt much later, in 1851.
The church stopped being used for regular services on July 1, 2003. Then, in 2010, the 'Friends of Friendless Churches' officially took over its care. They help to preserve old churches that are no longer in use.
Church Design and Features
The church is built with cool patterns of smooth stone (called ashlar) and rough stones (called flint). The edges and details are also made of ashlar. It has tiled roofs, with stone slates along the edges and stone caps on the walls.
The church's layout includes a main area called the nave (where people sit). It also has a rounded area at the end called an apsidal chancel, and two side sections called transepts (one to the north and one to the south). There's also a tall tower at the west end.
The Tower
The tower is built in a style called Perpendicular Gothic. It has two main parts. On the west corners, you can see strong supports called buttresses. There's also a small stair turret on the north side.
At the bottom of the tower, there's a window with three sections on the west side. There's also a doorway on the south side with a pointed roof (a gable) and a bishop's mitre carved into it. Higher up, the tower has openings with two sections for the bells.
At the very top of the tower, there's a wall with a jagged, castle-like top called an embattled parapet. You can also see tall, pointed decorations called pinnacles and funny stone carvings called gargoyles.
Other Parts of the Church
Along the sides of the nave, there are windows with square tops and two sections. The south transept has a fancy, decorative top edge. It has a two-section window on the south side and a single-section window on the west side. There's also a door on the east side.
The north transept has tall, narrow windows called lancet windows on its east and west sides. It also has a window with decorative stone patterns (called tracery) on the north side, and a door on the east. The chancel has buttresses that rise up to pointed pinnacles. It also has an openwork parapet and single-section windows.
Inside the Church
Inside, the church feels more like the Georgian style than the Gothic Revival style. The font, which is used for baptisms, is shaped like an octagon and dates back to the 1400s. It's made from a special type of stone called Purbeck marble. You can also find a special metal plaque inside, called a memorial brass, which is from around 1360.
