St Michael with St Mary's Church, Melbourne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael with St Mary’s Church, Melbourne |
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St Michael with St Mary’s Church, Melbourne
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| 52°49′15.45″N 1°25′27.12″W / 52.8209583°N 1.4242000°W | |
| Location | Melbourne, Derbyshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | melbourneparishchurch.org.uk |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Michael and St Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 144 feet (44 m) |
| Bells | 12 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Melbourne |
| Deanery | Melbourne |
| Archdeaconry | Derby |
| Diocese | Diocese of Derby |
St Michael with St Mary's Church is a very old and important church located in Melbourne, Derbyshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered a special historical site. This church is part of the Church of England.
Contents
History of the Church Building
This church has been around for a very long time! It was already here when the famous Domesday Book was written in 1086. The building you see today was mostly built in the early 1100s. Around that time, the church in Melbourne was given to the Bishop of Carlisle.
The church was carefully repaired and updated between 1859 and 1862. A famous architect named Sir George Gilbert Scott led this work. The church was closed for about a year at the start of the restoration. It reopened in November 1860, once enough work was finished for people to use it again.
During this renovation, the inside of the church got a big makeover. The floors in the aisles were laid with beautiful red and white stone in a diamond pattern. The chancel, which is the area near the altar, received colorful Minton tiles. A new pulpit (where sermons are given) and a reading desk were also added. The old plaster was removed from the walls, showing the original stonework underneath. The front of the church on the west side also had its stonework renewed.
What is a Joint Parish?
St Michael with St Mary's Church is part of a "joint parish." This means it shares a vicar and works closely with a few other churches nearby. These churches are:
Vicars of Melbourne Church
Over many centuries, St Michael with St Mary's Church has had many different vicars. A vicar is a priest who leads the church and its community. Records of these vicars go back a very long way, even to the year 1054! Their names can be found in old church records and documents.
The Church Organ
The church has a pipe organ that was built in the 1860s by Bevington and Sons. An organ is a large musical instrument that uses air blown through pipes to make sound. This organ has been updated a couple of times since it was first built. Kingsgate Davidson and Co modified it in 1956, and Nicholson & Co (Worcester) Ltd worked on it again in 1981. You can find more details about this specific organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
More to Explore
- Grade I listed churches in Derbyshire
- Grade I listed buildings in Derbyshire
- Listed buildings in Melbourne, Derbyshire
