St Mary Magdalene's Church, Croome D'Abitot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary Magdalene's Church,Croome D'Abitot |
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St Mary Magdalene's
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| OS grid reference | SO 886 450 |
| Location | Croome D'Abitot, Worcestershire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Mary Magdalene |
| Dedicated | 1763 |
| Consecrated | 1763 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 25 March 1968 |
| Architect(s) | Lancelot "Capability" Brown, Robert Adam |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival exterior, Georgian interior |
| Completed | 1758 |
| Closed | 30 October 1973 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Bath Stone |
St Mary Magdalene's Church is an old Anglican church. It stands in the beautiful grounds of Croome Court in Croome D'Abitot, Worcestershire, England. This church is a very important historic building. It has a special Grade I listing on the National Heritage List for England. The Churches Conservation Trust now takes care of it.
The church is named after Mary Magdalene, a friend of Jesus. It sits on a hill inside Croome Park. A famous expert on buildings, Nikolaus Pevsner, said it has a serious Gothic Revival look on the outside. But inside, it is very elegant with a Georgian style.
A short film called Our Father was partly filmed at St Mary Magdalene's Church in 2015.
Contents
History of the Church
The first church here was mentioned in 1283. It was named after Saint James the Apostle. We don't know exactly where that first church was. But people think it was near where Croome Court is today.
In the 1750s, George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry decided to build a new house. He also wanted a new church on higher ground. He asked Lancelot "Capability" Brown to design the new house and church. Brown also planned the gardens and grounds around them. Robert Adam designed the inside of the house and the church. He also created some other structures in the park.
The new church was officially opened in 1763. It was named St Mary Magdalene. Not much has changed since then. The pulpit and pews were moved in the 1800s. The Coventry family looked after the church while they lived at Croome Court. But they moved away in 1949. In the 1960s, the church needed repairs. The small group of people who went to the church could not afford to keep it up. So, the church was closed on October 30, 1973. In 1975, The Churches Conservation Trust took over its care.
How the Church Looks
Outside Design
St Mary's Church is built from Bath Stone. Its outside look is an early example of Gothic Revival architecture. This style tries to bring back the look of old Gothic buildings. The church has a nave (the main part) with three sections. It also has aisles on the north and south sides. There is a chancel (the area near the altar) with two sections. At the west end, there is a tower.
The tower has three levels. The lowest level is a porch. You can walk through it from the north, west, or south. The iron gates and tall carved doors at the church entrance were designed by Adam. The middle level of the tower has round windows. The top level has openings for bells with Perpendicular patterns. At the very top of the tower is a decorative border and a parapet (a low wall). This wall has a pierced pattern and pointed decorations called crocketed pinnacles. The other walls of the church also have these battlement-like parapets. The nave has three windows on each side. The east and west ends of the aisles have special spaces called niches. The chancel has two blank windows on each side. The east end has a large window.
Inside Design
Inside, the church has arcades (rows of arches) supported by special columns. The ceilings are smooth and curved. The roofs of the aisles are flat. The nave ceiling is shaped like an oval vault. It has a decorated plaster design in the middle. The floor is made of limestone slabs with black slate patterns.
The chancel is larger than usual for a church. This is because it acts as a special burial place for the Coventry family. Their monuments were moved here from the old church. To the right of the altar is a black and white marble memorial. It remembers Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry, who died in 1640. He was a very important person who held the Great Seal. His statue shows him lying down. Next to him are statues of Justice and Virtue. Near this is a memorial for the 2nd Baron Coventry, who died in 1661. It shows his family coat of arms.
Another memorial in the church is for the 4th Baron, who died in 1687. It shows him lying on a sarcophagus (a stone coffin). He is reaching towards a figure representing Faith. This monument was moved here in 1915 from a church in London. Adam designed special stained glass windows for the church. But they were never made. So, all the windows have plain glass.
The font (a basin for baptisms) is no longer in the church. It was designed by Adam and made from beautifully carved mahogany. It had a bowl with a cover on a three-legged base. The font was stolen but has been found. It is now in the Almonry Museum in Evesham.
At the east end of the north aisle, there is a hatchment (a special shield) for George Coventry, 8th Earl of Coventry, who died in 1843.
Church Bells
The church has six bells. The oldest bells were made by John Martin in 1651 and 1652. The newest bell was made by Thomas Mears I in 1812.
Burials at the Church
Many members of the Coventry family are buried here. They include:
- Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry
- Thomas Coventry, 2nd Baron Coventry
- George Coventry, 3rd Baron Coventry
- Thomas Coventry, 1st Earl of Coventry
- Thomas Coventry, 2nd Earl of Coventry
- William Coventry, 5th Earl of Coventry
- George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry
- George Coventry, 7th Earl of Coventry
- George Coventry, 8th Earl of Coventry
- George Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry
Around the Church
The churchyard has graves of servants who worked for the Coventry family. The National Trust owns Croome Court house and its parkland.
See also
