St Michael's Church, Cotham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's Church, Cotham |
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St Michael's Church, Cotham, from the south-east
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| OS grid reference | SK 794 476 |
| Location | Cotham, Nottinghamshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Michael |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 16 January 1967 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 12th century |
| Completed | 1890 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone, tile roofs |
St Michael's Church is an old Anglican church in the small village of Cotham, Nottinghamshire, England. It is no longer used for regular church services. This historic building was first built way back in the 1100s!
Contents
About St Michael's Church
St Michael's Church is a very important historical building. It is listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is a particularly important building of more than special interest. The church is cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. This group helps protect old churches that are no longer used for regular worship.
The church stands in a quiet, isolated spot in a field. It is set far back from the main road.
History of the Church
St Michael's Church began its life in the 12th century, which means the 1100s. Over the years, parts of it were changed and added to in the 14th and 15th centuries.
In the late 1700s, the church's tower and the western part of its main area, called the nave, were taken down. The church was partly rebuilt around 1832. A small bell tower, known as a bellcote, was added in 1890.
Even though the church was officially declared "redundant" (meaning it was no longer needed for daily services) in 2004, it is still sometimes used for special events or worship. The Churches Conservation Trust took over its care in 1989.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
The church is built from stone pieces, called rubble, with smoother stone blocks, called ashlar, used for details. It has a roof made of tiles. The church has a main area (the nave) and a chancel (the area near the altar) all under one roof. There is also a porch on the south side. A small bellcote with a pointed roof sits at the east end.
Along the sides of the church, you can see buttresses. These are stone supports that help hold up the walls. At the west end, there is a window with two sections. The north wall has a door and two windows, each with three sections. The south wall has four windows, also with three sections each. The window at the east end also has three sections.
Some of the windows have fancy stone patterns, called tracery, that are typical of the Decorated Gothic style. Other windows have patterns from the Perpendicular Gothic style. Above the entrance to the porch, there is a stone top, called a coped parapet, and a stone with the year 1830 carved into it.
Inside the Church
Inside St Michael's Church, to the east of the door, you can find a piscina from the 14th century. A piscina is a stone basin used for washing sacred vessels.
On the west wall, there are five stone brackets, called corbels. The top two are plain and show where an old gallery (a raised platform) might have been. The bottom three have cool carvings of faces from the medieval period.
The font, where baptisms take place, is shaped like an octagon and also dates back to the 14th century. You can also see two memorials from the 14th century on the south wall. They are partly hidden by the wall and the raised floor.
Outside Features
On the east side of the church, there is a stone wall from the 1800s. This wall has iron gates and also features some gargoyles that were reused from the 14th century. Gargoyles are carved stone figures, often shaped like monsters, used to spout water from a roof. This wall is also a Grade II listed building.
See also
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in the English Midlands
- Grade II* listed buildings in Nottinghamshire
- Listed buildings in Cotham, Nottinghamshire
