St Mary and St Nicolas, Spalding facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary and St Nicolas Church |
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St Mary & St Nicolas, Spalding
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary and St Nicolas |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Spalding, Lincolnshire |
| Diocese | Lincoln |
| Province | Province of Canterbury |
The Church of St Mary and St Nicolas is a busy Church of England parish church in Spalding, Lincolnshire, England. It was built around 1284. This church stands on the spot where an older church once was. It is a very important building, listed as Grade I, which means it's historically special.
Contents
History of St Mary and St Nicolas Church
After the Norman Conquest in 1066, some monks came to England from France. These monks were from the Abbey of Saint Nicolas in Angers. They came to take charge of Spalding Priory, which was a type of monastery.
Building the New Church (1284)
In 1284, a leader of the monks named Prior William of Littleport started building a brand new church. This new church was meant to replace an older one. The old church was located near the Priory. The new church was built on a different spot, where a small chapel used to be.
Prior William passed away before the church was finished. His replacement, Clement of Hatfield, made sure the building was completed between 1293 and 1318.
What the Church Looked Like
When it was first built, the church had a shape like a cross if you looked down from above. It had a main area called the nave, with side sections called aisles. There were also transepts, which are the parts that stick out like the arms of the cross. At the front was the chancel, and it had a bell tower.
Changes and Updates Over Time
In 1360, some parts of the church were made wider. The south porch, which is an entrance area, and the tower were also built around this time.
In the mid-1400s, more changes happened. A screen was added in the chancel area, and the pillars inside the church were made taller. New windows were put in high up, letting in more light. A special ceiling, called a hammerbeam roof with carved angels, was also built.
Later, in the 1700s and early 1800s, the church looked quite different. It had tall, enclosed seats called box pews and a three-level pulpit for sermons. These were all removed during a big restoration project between 1865 and 1867. This work was led by a famous architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott. The chancel screen was rebuilt in 1875, using parts of the old 1400s screen.
In the 1900s, the church got modern stained glass windows. The ceiling of the chancel was decorated, and the organ was moved and rebuilt. A shop and visitor centre were added, along with a vestry (a room for clergy) on the south side.
More recently, in 2013, the main entrance was moved to the west door. A new stone floor was laid, and the steps around the font (where baptisms happen) were removed. In 2017, a small kitchen area was put in at the west end of the nave.
Gallery
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Chancel cross
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Chancel
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Engraving of St Thomas Becket
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Candlemas
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Poppy head pew end
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St George's Chapel
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Angel corbel
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West window
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BBC outside broadcast van at the West front
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View from Ayscoughfee
