St Michael the Archangel's Church, Booton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael the Archangel's Church, Booton |
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West front of St Michael the Archangel's Church, Booton
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| OS grid reference | TG 123 224 |
| Location | Booton, Norfolk |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 10 May 1961 |
| Architect(s) | Rev Whitwell Elwin |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival in French Gothic style |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint with limestone dressings Tiled roofs |
St Michael the Archangel's Church is a special old Anglican church near the village of Booton, Norfolk, England. It is no longer used for regular church services, but it is protected by the Churches Conservation Trust. This means it is kept safe for everyone to enjoy. The church stands about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) east of the village. People often call it the "Cathedral of the Fields" because it looks so grand, even though it is in the countryside. It is also a very important historic building, listed as Grade II*.
Contents
History of St Michael's Church
St Michael's Church was built in the late 1800s. It replaced an older church that used to stand on the same spot. The person who designed this unique church, including its inside decorations, was Reverend Whitwell Elwin. He was the local priest, also known as the rector, from 1849 to 1900.
Architecture and Design
The church is built from grey flint stones, which are very common in Norfolk. It also has limestone details and tiled roofs. The church has a main hall called a nave, a special area for the altar called a chancel, and two tall towers at the front. It is built in an "eccentric French Gothic style," which means it looks a bit like old French cathedrals but with some unusual twists.
Unique Features of the Towers
The two towers at the front are tall and thin. They are placed at an angle to the rest of the church. Each tower has three levels. The lower levels have long, blank arches, which are decorative shapes that look like windows but are solid. The top level has tall openings where the bells would be. At the very top of the towers, there are fancy stone decorations called pinnacles.
West Front Details
Between the two towers, there is a main entrance doorway. Above this door, there is a large window with four sections. A tall, three-level pinnacle rises from the top of the front wall, also decorated with blank arches.
Side Walls and Special Niches
Along the sides of the church, there are stone supports called buttresses. These also have pinnacles at the top. The ends of the roof, called gables, have similar pinnacles. On the south side of the chancel, there is a special door for the priest. Above this door, you can see a beautifully carved niche, which is a small alcove in the wall. Inside the north porch, there is a 14th-century (from the 1300s) statue of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. This statue was found when the church was being rebuilt.
Inside the Church: Roofs and Decorations
The main hall, the nave, has a special type of wooden roof called a hammerbeam roof. This roof is decorated with wooden angels carved by James Minns, a skilled local artist. The chancel also has a similar roof. Above the arch that separates the nave from the chancel, there is a triangular opening. The lower part of the nave walls has wooden panelling that looks like folded linen, called linenfold dado. The pulpit, where the priest gives sermons, and other church furniture were all made in the 1800s. The stained glass windows show pictures of angels, musicians, and female faces.
The Architect's Inspiration
The architect of the church, Reverend Whitwell Elwin, was also the editor of a magazine called the Quarterly Review from 1853 to 1860. He did not have any official training in architecture. Instead, he based his designs on parts of other churches he admired and also used his own imagination. For example, the entrance doorway was inspired by a doorway at Glastonbury Abbey. The triangular opening above the chancel arch was inspired by Lichfield Cathedral. The stained glass in the nave windows was inspired by St Mary's Church at Temple Balsall, and the west window's glass by St Stephen's Chapel in the Palace of Westminster. The hammerbeam roof is said to be based on the roof of Saint Botolph's Church in Trunch, Norfolk.
Outside the Church Grounds
There are two other important structures in the churchyard. They are listed as Grade II, which means they are also historically important and add to the value of the church. One is the churchyard's boundary wall, built in the 1800s, along with two sets of gate posts and wooden gates. The other is a small building from the late 1800s that was used as a sexton's (church caretaker's) storage shed. It is also made of flint and stone with tiled roofs. Its front has three pointed gables with decorative stone tops and ball-shaped ornaments.
See also
