St Michael's Church, Burwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's Church, Burwell |
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St Michael's Church, Burwell, from the northwest
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| OS grid reference | TF 356 797 |
| Location | Burwell, Lincolnshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Michael |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 9 March 1967 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Green sandstone with limestone dressings Lead and slate roofs |
St Michael's Church is an old Anglican church in the village of Burwell, Lincolnshire, England. It is no longer used for regular church services, which is why it's called a "redundant church." This special building is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. It is also a "Grade I listed building," meaning it's a very important historical site. The church stands on a hill next to the A16 road as it goes through the village.
Contents
History of St Michael's Church
Around the time of the Normans (in the 1100s), a Benedictine monastery called Burwell Priory was built nearby. People think St Michael's Church was built right next to these monastery buildings. The church itself dates back to the early 12th century.
The chancel (the part of the church where the altar is) was added about 100 years later. The church tower was built in the early 1500s. More parts were added to the top of the tower in the late 1700s. The south porch, which is a covered entrance, was also built around the late 1700s.
Other changes were made in the late 1400s and during the 1800s. In 1911, the church was repaired and made new again. During the 1900s, strong supports called buttresses were built to help hold up the south wall of the nave (the main part of the church). In May 1981, the church was officially declared "redundant," meaning it was no longer needed for regular worship.
Church Architecture and Design
Outside the Church
St Michael's Church is built from green sandstone and smooth limestone blocks. Some parts also use red brick. The roofs are made of lead, with some parts using slate. The church has a simple shape: a main hall (the nave) with a south porch, a chancel, and a tower at the west end.
The tower has three main levels and stands on a strong base called a plinth. It also has buttresses for support. Above the southwest buttress, you can see a sundial that tells time using the sun. On the west side, there is a doorway with a tall window above it that has three sections. Above this window, there is a clock face. On the south side of the middle level, there is a small, narrow window called a lancet window. The top level of the tower has openings for bells on all sides.
Most of the tower is made of stone, but parts of the top level and the wall around the top (called the parapet) are made of brick. The very top of the tower has a battlemented design, like a castle, with stone caps called copings. The upper parts of the nave walls are also made of brick.
On the north wall of the nave, there is a rectangular window from the 1400s with three sections. There is also a newer window from the 1900s with two sections that can open. The north wall of the chancel has a single lancet window. The east window, at the very end of the church, has three sections. On the south wall of the chancel, there is a rectangular window with three sections. Below this window, against the wall, is a stone tomb from the late 1700s. It is carved with a skull and laurels (leafy decorations).
Along the south walls of the nave, there are two buttresses and four old, blocked-up archways (called arcades). The two archways closer to the east end are larger than the other two. The two larger archways each have a three-section window. A small porch with a pointed roof (a gable) is built against the smaller archways.
Inside the Church
The archway leading into the tower from the nave was built in the 1400s and has a pointed top. The archway leading into the chancel is from the Norman period and has a rounded top. The tops of the columns (called capitals) are carved. On one side, you can see dancing deer, and on the other, spiral shapes called volutes.
Above the chancel arch, there is a small piece of an old wall painting. It shows a crowned head and the letter "M." Some people think this might be a picture of Queen Maud or Margaret of Navarre. In the roof of the tower, there are carvings of three long, wingless angels.
The wooden altar rail, where people kneel during services, is from the late 1800s. It is beautifully carved with grapes and vine leaves. The reredos, which is a decorated screen behind the altar, is also from the 1800s. It has five arched panels with fancy patterns called tracery.
The font, used for baptisms, is from the 1400s. It has eight sides and is carved with shields in its panels. The pine pulpit, where sermons are given, is from the 1600s. The wooden benches (pews), a wooden paneling along the lower part of the walls (a dado rail), and a small basin for washing communion vessels (a piscina) are all from the 1800s.
Inside the church, you can also find several memorials. One special marble memorial from 1674 has a curved top and carvings of hanging decorations (called festoons), a fancy shield (a cartouche), little angel figures (called cherubs), and draped fabric. There are more marble memorials from the 1700s and 1800s as well.
See also
