St Michael's Church, Longstanton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's Church, Longstanton |
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West end of St Michael's Church, Longstanton, with the holy well in the foreground
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| OS grid reference | TL 403 658 |
| Location | Longstanton, Cambridgeshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 31 August 1962 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Fieldstones with Barnack limestone dressings Roofs thatched and tiled |
St Michael's Church is an old Anglican church in the village of Longstanton, Cambridgeshire, England. It is no longer used for regular church services. This historic building is listed as a Grade II* building, which means it is very important and protected. The Churches Conservation Trust takes care of it, making sure it stays in good condition for everyone to see.
This church stands at the south end of Longstanton village. St Michael's Church was so special that its design was copied for other churches. For example, the Church of St. James the Less in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and St. Thomas Church in New Windsor, New York, both built in 1846, look very similar. It even inspired many other churches built in the American Gothic Revival style.
Contents
History of St Michael's Church
When Was the Church Built?
Most of St Michael's Church was built a very long time ago, in the early 1200s. The west wall was rebuilt in the 1400s. At that time, two large buttresses (supports for the wall) and a new window were added. The south porch, which is like a covered entrance, was built earlier in the 1400s.
Changes Over the Years
In the 1800s, the chancel (the part of the church where the altar is) was used as a schoolroom! A curtain separated it from the main part of the church, called the nave. The chancel was taken down in 1883 and rebuilt the next year. This cost about £600, which was a lot of money back then. The new chancel was carefully made to look just like the original 1200s design.
In 1889, the nave was also repaired and updated. This cost around £350. In 1958, the church parish of St Michael's joined with another local church, All Saints. Sadly, the two bells in the church's bellcote (a small structure holding bells) were stolen in 1969.
Becoming a Protected Site
St Michael's Church stopped being used for regular services in 1973. In 1975, it was officially given to the Redundant Churches Fund. This group later became the Churches Conservation Trust, which now looks after many historic churches. The church's special thatched roof was repaired by the Trust in 2000, keeping this unique feature safe.
Architecture of the Church
Outside the Church
The church is built from fieldstone (stones found in fields) with special Barnack limestone details. The roofs of the nave and the south porch are covered with reed thatch. The chancel roof is made of tiles. St Michael's is one of only two churches in Cambridgeshire with a thatched roof! The other is in the nearby village of Rampton.
The church's layout includes a nave (the main part), north and south aisles (side sections), a south porch, and a chancel. On the west end of the roof, there is a double bellcote, which holds the bells. The west wall has two strong, four-stage buttresses with a two-light window between them. Other windows include three tall, narrow lancet windows from the 1800s. These likely replaced similar windows from earlier times. The north wall has a doorway and some smooth stone blocks, suggesting there were other openings there before.
Inside the Church
Inside St Michael's Church, you can see the arcades (rows of arches) that date back to the 1200s. These arches are supported by columns that switch between being round and octagonal (eight-sided). In the chancel, there is a double piscina. This is a stone basin used for washing sacred vessels. It has crisscrossing arches made from a soft stone called clunch. People say this piscina looks similar to one found in the chapel at Jesus College, Cambridge.
Other Features Around the Church
The Holy Well
In the churchyard, there is a holy well. This well was repaired in the 1980s. In September 1986, it was "dressed" for the first time. Well dressing is an old tradition where wells are decorated with pictures made from flower petals and other natural materials.
Images for kids
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West end of St Michael's Church, Longstanton, with the holy well in the foreground
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St Michael's Church viewed from the northwest in July 2014
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St Michael's Church viewed from the southwest in July 2014
