St Michael the Archangel, Llanyblodwel facts for kids
St Michael the Archangel is a very old and special church in a place called Llanyblodwel in Shropshire, England. It's so important that it's a Grade I listed building, which means it's protected because of its history and unique design. The church has a really unusual spire, which is the tall, pointy part of a church tower. It was designed a long time ago, between 1847 and 1856, by the local vicar, John Parker.
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Who Was John Parker?
The church you see today was mostly designed and rebuilt by a vicar named John Parker. He was the vicar from 1845 to 1860. He didn't just build a new church; he took an older medieval church and slowly changed it between 1847 and 1853.
John Parker designed many parts of the church, including the entrances (called porches), the ceilings, the windows, and the decorative screen behind the altar (called a reredos). He also designed the very unique steeple, which was added a bit later, in 1855-1856. This steeple is quite special because it's almost separate from the main church building. John Parker also designed other buildings nearby, like the old school house and the schoolmaster's house.
Inside the Church
When you go inside St Michael's, you'll see some interesting things. There's a beautiful wooden screen from the 15th century (that's the 1400s!). It's carved with designs of vines and animals. John Parker loved to decorate, so he covered the walls with large quotes from the Bible. He even put in a special "double-decker" pulpit, which is where the priest stands to give sermons.
The church also has memorials to important people. One is for Elias Owen, who was another vicar at the church from 1892 until he passed away. He was famous for writing a book called "Welsh Folklore." You can also find monuments for the Tanat and Bridgeman families, who were important local families.
There's a special First World War memorial too. It's a beautiful stained glass window that shows a soldier offering his sword to Jesus. Below the window, there's a brass plaque with names.
The South Porch Mystery
In the church's south porch, you can find two pieces of a very old gravestone from the 14th century (the 1300s). These pieces are attached to the inside wall. One of them has a carving of a running hare! There's also some old writing on it.
Some historians think this hare might be connected to an old story or legend about a saint named Melangell. There are similar hare carvings at another church called St Melangell's Church, Pennant Melangell. It's a bit of a mystery, but it's cool to see such old carvings.
The Unique Steeple
The steeple of St Michael's is truly one-of-a-kind. It was built after the main church and is slightly separate, connected by a small hallway. The tower part of the steeple has eight sides. The spire itself is not pointy and straight like most church spires. Instead, it has a curved, rounded shape, almost like a dome that comes to a point. This shape is called a "domical vault."
John Parker believed this curved design would be much stronger than regular straight spires. The steeple is quite tall, reaching 104 feet (about 31.7 meters) into the sky. The tower is 57 feet tall, and the curved spire adds another 47 feet on top!
Changes Over Time
After John Parker's time, later in the Victorian period, some of his unique decorations inside the church were covered up with paint. The special double-decker pulpit he installed was also removed.
However, in 1960, a new restoration project happened. This project aimed to bring back some of Parker's original designs. They uncovered some of the old decorations and restored much of what had been changed.
The Churchyard
The churchyard, which is the area around the church, is also a place of history. It contains the war graves of three British soldiers who died in World War I.
Besides the former vicars John Parker and Elias Owen, a famous Victorian composer and conductor named Henry David Leslie (who lived from 1822 to 1896) is also buried here.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Shropshire
- Listed buildings in Llanyblodwel
