St Michael and All Angels' Church, Elton on the Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael and All Angels' Church, Elton on the Hill |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| Website | www.wivertoninthevale.co.uk/saint-michael-elton |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Michael and All Angels |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Elton on the Hill |
| Diocese | Southwell and Nottingham |
| Province | York |
St Michael and All Angels' Church is a historic parish church in the village of Elton on the Hill, Nottinghamshire. It is part of the Church of England.
The church is a Grade II listed building. This means it is officially recognized as a building of special architectural and historical importance, so it must be protected.
Contents
History and Architecture
The church was first built in the medieval period, hundreds of years ago. However, it was given a major makeover between 1855 and 1857, during the Victorian era.
During this restoration, the outside was covered in a special plaster called stucco, which was made to look like expensive, smooth stone blocks known as ashlar. The brick tower you see today was also added at this time. Inside the tower are two bells and a modern clock, which was installed in 1969.
Inside the church, you can still see parts of the original medieval building. On the south wall of the main area (the nave), you can see stone arches. These arches once led to a side aisle that was later removed. The wooden altar rails are from the Jacobean period, which was in the early 1600s.
Interesting Features Inside
The church has several unique features that tell stories about its past.
Stained Glass Window
The beautiful stained glass window at the east end of the church shows a scene from the Bible: St. Paul preaching to the people of Athens. An inscription on the window is a memorial to Robert Weatherell, who was the church's rector from 1863 to 1883.
Historic Decorations
- Commandments and Prayer: Above the door to the chancel (the area around the altar), there are arched panels with the words of the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. These might be even older than the Victorian restoration.
- Pews and Panels: The modern oak pews were a gift in the 1950s from W. G. Player. The oak wall panels were donated by W. Noël Parr.
- Hatchments: On the walls, you can see three painted boards called hatchments. These are like coats of arms painted on a diamond-shaped board to remember important people who have died, such as members of the Launder and Norton-Norton families who lived at Elton Manor.
Clues from the Past
A detailed description of the church, written in the 1960s, reveals more secrets about its history:
- The nave once had a south aisle with three bays, built around the end of the 12th century.
- The main door under the porch is from the 14th century.
- Parts of a 15th-century screen were once visible in the old pews before they were replaced.
- One of the two bells in the tower is dated 1702. This proves that the church had a tower long before the current brick one was built in the 1850s.
In the churchyard, you can find many interesting old gravestones. The Launder family tomb is so important that it has its own Grade II heritage listing.
The Church Parish Today
St Michael's is part of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham. In 2017, it joined with several other local churches to form a new, larger parish called Wiverton in the Vale.
The other churches in this group are:
- St Andrew's Church, Langar
- St Giles's Church, Cropwell Bishop
- All Saints' Church, Granby
- Holy Trinity Church, Tythby
- St John's Church, Colston Bassett
The Rev. Rachel Mitchell has been the leader of the parish since 2019.
See also
- Listed buildings in Elton on the Hill
External source
- Southwell and Nottingham Church History Project Read more about the church's history
