St Mary and St Barlock's Church, Norbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary and St Barlock’s Church, Norbury |
|
|---|---|
St Mary and St Barlock’s Church, Norbury
|
|
| 52°58′40.44″N 1°48′55.04″W / 52.9779000°N 1.8152889°W | |
| Location | Norbury, Derbyshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary and St Barlacus |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 95.5 feet (29.1 m) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Norbury |
| Deanery | Ashbourne |
| Archdeaconry | Derby |
| Diocese | Derby |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Mary and St Barlock's Church is a very old and important church located in Norbury, Derbyshire. It's a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered a special historical site in England. It belongs to the Church of England.
Contents
History of the Church Building
The church you see today is actually the third one built on this spot. The very first church was from the Anglo-Saxon period, which was a long time ago, before 1066. The second church was built around 1179. It was a Late Norman church, meaning it was built in a style popular after the Norman Conquest.
Building the Second Church
John Fitzherbert, who was the 3rd Lord of Norbury, built this second church. He dedicated it to a saint named St Barlacus. You can see a picture of this saint in the middle part of the south window in the church. He is shown holding a staff and a book. Below his picture, it says Sactus Burlok Abbas. In an old document from 1491, his name is also written as Saint Barlok.
Who Was Saint Barlock?
Many people believe Saint Barlock is actually Saint Finbarr, an Irish abbot and bishop from the 600s. He is the patron saint of Cork in Ireland. John Fitzherbert might have chosen him as the church's saint because he was in charge of Waterford in Ireland for three years around 1174.
Finnbar was born in the late 500s and was first named Lochan. Later, he was called Fionn Barr, which means "Fair-Headed One." His life story was written down in a book called Lives of Finn Barr. There's also a church in Fowey, Cornwall, dedicated to him, called St Fimbarrus. That church was built around 1170.
Construction of the Current Church
The current St Mary and St Barlock's Church was not built all at once. It was built bit by bit over about 200 years.
The chancel (the part of the church near the altar) is the oldest section. It's quite large compared to the rest of the church. It measures about 46 feet (14 m) long and is both wider and taller than the nave (the main part where people sit). The nave is slightly longer at 49 feet (15 m).
The design of the chancel windows, called tracery, suggests it was built around 1300–1310. The stained glass from that time also shows family crests, known as armorial glass. Two of these crests belong to Otto de Grandson, who left England in 1307, and Robert the Bruce, who was fighting England from 1306. The chancel roof was added later, in the 1400s. The outside supports and inside pillars suggest that the original builders might have planned a fancy "fan vault" ceiling, but it was never finished.
Later Additions by the Fitzherberts
- The south tower, nave, and a chapel east of the tower were built by Nicholas Fitzherbert, who died in 1473.
- Nicholas or his son Ralph (who died in 1483) built the north aisle.
- Ralph's grandson, John Fitzherbert (who died in 1513), built the south-west chapel, which was finished in 1517.
Many of the stained glass windows added by the Fitzherbert family are still there. Most of these windows show figures painted in grisaille, which is a style using different shades of grey. In the south-east chapel, there's a window that shows the person who donated it and their family.
Church Restorations
The church was repaired and updated in 1841. New open seats were put in, replacing the older, closed-off pews. The church reopened on July 7, 1842.
It was restored again between 1899 and 1900. This work cost £3,800, which was a lot of money back then! The architects Naylor and Sale from Derby were in charge. Most of the building work was done by W. Gould of Tutbury. The church reopened in February 1900, with the Bishop of Southwell present.
Fitzherbert Family Memorials
Inside the church, you can find several memorials to the Fitzherbert family. These include:
- Sir Henry Fitzherbert (died around 1315): His memorial shows him as a knight with crossed legs. This pose showed his strong Christian faith, but it doesn't mean he went on a Crusade.
- Nicholas Fitzherbert (died 1473): He was the High Sheriff of Derbyshire. His statue is carved from alabaster (a soft, white stone) and shows him in full armor. Around his neck, he wears a special collar with suns and roses, and a pendant of the White Lion, which was a symbol of King Edward IV. A small angel supports his right foot.
- Sir Ralph Fitzherbert (died 1483) and his wife: Their statues are also made of alabaster. Ralph's feet rest on a lion. Next to the lion, a small, bearded figure called a bedesman is kneeling. This bedesman is praying with his rosary for the souls of the dead. Ralph also wears a special collar with suns and roses, which was a symbol of the House of York. He has a pendant of the White Boar, which was a symbol of King Richard III. This boar pendant is very rare; it's one of the only ones still existing. The armor shown on Ralph Fitzherbert's statue has even been copied to make a real, working suit of armor!
Benedicta Fitzherbert's Tomb
There's a flat stone slab with a carving of a woman wrapped in a shroud (a cloth used to wrap a dead body). This is believed to be Benedicta (died 1531), who was the wife of John Fitzherbert, the 13th Lord. The carving is surrounded by four family crests, including one from Benedicta's own family, the Bradbournes. Above the figure, there's an old inscription with the date 1531.
John Fitzherbert and Benedicta separated early in their marriage. In his will, John did not leave anything to Benedicta and stated that her children were not his.
The Great East Window
The large east window of the chapel once had beautiful 14th-century stained glass showing a big scene with life-sized figures. By 1770, this glass was in very bad condition. At that time, the local church leaders had to pay for church repairs themselves. So, the rector of Norbury, Rev. S. Mills, had the window covered up with bricks, leaving the glass inside.
In 1830, a Roman Catholic family from Yorkshire wanted to buy the glass. It's not known if the glass was actually removed and sold, or stolen (like some glass at Haddon Hall), or if it just fell apart. But by 1842, when the window was opened up again, the original glass was gone. Instead, the window was filled with 15th-century glass taken from other windows in the church.
Parish Status
St Mary and St Barlock's Church is part of a joint parish with St Peter's Church, Snelston.
Organ
The church has a pipe organ that was built by Charles Lloyd in 1890. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Bells
The church tower has three bells:
- One bell from 1589, made by Henry Oldfield.
- One bell from around 1500, made by Richard Mellours.
- The third bell from 1739, made by John Halton.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Derbyshire
- Grade I listed buildings in Derbyshire
- Listed buildings in Norbury and Roston
