St Mary's Church, Newnham Murren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Newnham Murren |
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St Mary's Church, Newnham Murren, from the northeast
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| OS grid reference | SU 610 885 |
| Location | Newnham Murren, Oxfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 9 February 1959 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint with stone dressings Tiled roofs |
St Mary's Church is a very old church in a small place called Newnham Murren, Oxfordshire, England. It's an Anglican church, but it's now a "redundant" building. This means it's not used for regular church services anymore.
However, it's still very important! It's looked after by a special group called the Churches Conservation Trust. The church is listed as a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a really important historical site. You can find St Mary's Church at the end of a farm path, with a nice view of the River Thames. It's also close to The Ridgeway, a famous long-distance walking path.
History of St Mary's Church
This church was first built a very long time ago, in the 12th century (around the 1100s). More parts were added and changed in the century after that.
In 1849, the church was "restored". This means it was repaired and updated, which was common during the Victorian era. Later in the 1800s, a porch and a small tower for bells (called a bellcote) were added.
St Mary's Church stopped being used for regular services on January 23, 1973. It was then officially given to the Churches Conservation Trust on May 21, 1974. If you want to visit, you can usually find someone nearby who has the key.
Architecture and Design
St Mary's Church is built using flint stones with other stone pieces for decoration. It has a roof made of tiles. The church has a main open area called a nave, with a smaller section on the south side called an aisle. It also has a special area for the altar, known as the chancel, and a porch on the north side.
At the very front of the nave, on the roof's peak, there's a small bellcote. The porch is made of wood (called timber framing) on a flint base, and it also has a tiled roof. The main entrance, or doorway, is built in the old Norman style.
Next to the porch, you'll see a tall, narrow window called a lancet window. There are two more lancet windows on the north wall of the chancel, and similar ones on the south wall. The large window at the east end of the church was added in the 1800s. It has three sections and decorative stone patterns called plate tracery.
Inside the church, the walls are covered in a white coating called limewash. The windows have beautiful stained glass. The roof of the church is very old, dating back to the medieval period. The arch that leads into the chancel is also in the Norman style. To the right of this arch, there's a small, slanted opening called a squint. This allowed people to see the altar from the aisle.
In the chancel, there's a special basin called a piscina in a small space in the south wall. On the north wall, there's a double aumbry, which is a cupboard for storing sacred items. Most of the church's original furniture was removed during the 1849 restoration. However, a Jacobean pulpit (where sermons are given) and a communion table are still there. On the wall of the aisle, you can see a special metal plaque called a monumental brass from the 16th century.
See also
