St Michael's and All Angels Church, Guiting Power facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's and All Angels Church, Guiting Power |
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St Michael's and All Angels Church from the south
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| OS grid reference | SP 095 245 |
| Location | Guiting Power, Gloucestershire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | St Michael, Guiting Power |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St Michael and All Angels |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 25 June 1980 |
| Style | Norman, Early English, Perpendicular |
| Groundbreaking | 12th century |
| Completed | 1903 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Guiting Power with Farmcote |
| Deanery | Stow |
| Archdeaconry | Cheltenham |
| Diocese | Gloucester |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Michael's and All Angels Church is a very old church located in the village of Guiting Power, in Gloucestershire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, meaning it's a local church for the community. It's part of the Church of England and has been an important building for centuries.
This church is special because parts of it date back to the 12th century, which is over 800 years ago! It is officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building, meaning it's a very important historical structure. The church used to be in the middle of the village, but now it stands at the southern end.
Contents
History of the Church
The church building started in the 12th century. From this time, only two special doorways, built in the old Norman style, are still here. The chancel, which is the part of the church where the altar is, was added a bit later in the 12th century.
Changes Over Time
In the 15th century, a tall tower was built. At the same time, the walls of the nave (the main part of the church where people sit) were made taller. As more people moved to the village in the 1800s, the church needed to be bigger.
In 1820, a new section called the north transept was added. A transept is like a "wing" of the church, making it look like a cross from above. In 1844, the south transept was built. The old Norman doorway on the south side was carefully moved to this new transept.
The church has a set of bells. In 1869, these bells were either fixed up or replaced, and a sixth bell was added.
Restoration in the 1900s
By the early 1900s, the church was getting old and needed repairs. So, in 1903, it was fully restored. The roofs were replaced, and a room for the organ and a vestry (a room for the clergy to prepare) were added next to the north transept. The chancel was completely rebuilt to look like its original design. Beautiful stained glass windows were also put in.
An organ was installed in 1978, and another part was added to it in 1985, making its sound even richer.
Church Architecture
St Michael's Church is built from limestone, a strong stone, and its roofs are made of limestone slate. The church has a cruciform shape, meaning it looks like a cross when seen from above. It has a nave, north and south transepts, a tower on the west side, and a chancel with a vestry to the north.
Outside the Church
The two original doorways, on the north and south sides, are in the old Norman style. The north doorway is now blocked off. The chancel is built in the Early English style, which was popular after the Norman period. The tower is in the Perpendicular style, which came later and often features large windows.
The chancel has narrow, tall windows called lancet windows and a special door for the priest. The tower has three main levels, separated by stone bands. It has strong diagonal buttresses (supports) and a top edge that looks like a castle wall, called an embattled parapet. On the top level, there are two-light, louvered openings on each side for the bells.
Inside the Church
The baptismal font, used for baptisms, is from the 15th century. It has eight sides, and each side has a decorative shape called a quatrefoil. The pulpit, where sermons are given, was built in the 20th century from a type of stone called Caen stone. It stands on older stone from a previous pulpit. The pews, where people sit, are from the 19th century.
Above the south door, you can see a royal coat of arms from the time of King George III. In the bell tower, there are boards that list donations made to the church over the years. Behind the altar, there's a wooden plaque from 1601 that shows Jesus carrying the cross.
Four windows in the chancel have beautiful stained glass made by a company called Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Inside the church, you can also find several carved stones. There's even a small sarcophagus (a stone coffin) from the Saxon era, which is very old. It's thought to be one of the smallest sarcophagi in England!
Outside the Church Grounds
In the churchyard, which is the area around the church, there are other interesting historical items. These are also listed as Grade II historical objects. One is the stone base of a cross from the medieval period. Another is a pair of old stone monuments from 1777 and 1787, but we don't know who they belong to.
The churchyard is also a place of remembrance. It contains the war graves of two soldiers who died in World War I, and an airman and an officer from the Royal Army Medical Corps who died in World War II.
