St Michael & All Angels Church, Bishop's Cleeve facts for kids

St Michael & All Angels' Church, Bishop's Cleeve
St Michael & All Angels' Church, Bishop's Cleeve
51°56′53″N 2°03′31″W / 51.9481°N 2.0585°W / 51.9481; -2.0585
Location	Bishop's Cleeve, Gloucestershire
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
History
Dedicated	1066
Architecture
Architect(s)	various
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Gloucester

St Michael & All Angels is a very old and important church. It is in the village of Bishop's Cleeve, which is just north of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England. Most people simply call it St Michael's. It is part of the Church of England.

History of the Church Building

The church building is a Grade I listed building. This means it is a very special historic building that needs to be protected. Parts of it are over 900 years old!

How the Church Began

Long ago, in Anglo-Saxon times, this area was a place where monks lived and prayed. This was how the village of Bishop's Cleeve first started. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, the main part of the church was built. It was originally a Catholic church.

You can still see parts of old paintings, called frescoes, on the walls inside. Many people, called pilgrims, used to visit this church a long time ago.

Later Additions and Features

In the 1700s, the Delabere family added more parts to the church. This made space for more people to sit during services. Members of the Delabere family are buried in a special tomb inside the church. This tomb is a reason why many tourists visit the church today.

The church's bell tower has the oldest oak staircase in Britain that is still used! This staircase even won an award for its restoration in June 2016.

Church Bells

The church tower has 9 bells. Eight of these bells are a "full peal." They are rung together for church services and on special days. There is also a smaller bell called a "sanctus bell." In the past, the sanctus bell was rung during certain parts of a Holy Communion service. This practice is not common today.

You can find more details about the bells on the Dove's Guide website.

Churchyard and War Graves

The churchyard is the area around the church where people are buried. It contains war graves for soldiers and an airman. These are people who died serving their country in World War I and World War II.

How the Church is Organized

St Michael's Church is part of a larger group of churches called a "benefice." This is common in the Church of England, especially in rural areas.

The Benefice of Bishop's Cleeve and Woolstone

The full name of this group is the Benefice of Bishop's Cleeve and Woolstone with Gotherington and Oxenton. It includes two main church areas, called "ecclesiastical parishes." These are the Bishop's Cleeve parish and the Woolstone with Gotherington and Oxenton parish.

Bishop's Cleeve Parish

The Bishop's Cleeve parish includes the villages of Bishop's Cleeve, Southam, Woodmancote, and Cleeve Hill. This parish has two church buildings:

• St Michael & All Angels in Bishop's Cleeve (the main church).
• The Ascension in Southam. Even though The Ascension is used for worship, St Michael's is still legally the main parish church for Southam.

There used to be another church, St Peter's at Cleeve Hill, but it is no longer used since 2008.

Woolstone with Gotherington and Oxenton Parish

This parish covers the small villages of Woolstone and Oxenton, and the larger village of Gotherington. It also has two church buildings:

• St Martin de Tours in Woolstone.
• St John the Baptist in Oxenton.

Even though many people live in Gotherington, there isn't an Anglican church building there.