St Nicholas' Church, Sturry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Nicholas' Church, Sturry |
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The church with its embattlemented tower
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| 51°17′55″N 1°07′13″E / 51.2985°N 1.1202°E | |
| OS grid reference | TR 176 606 |
| Location | Sturry, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican and Methodist |
| Website | [1] |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Nicholas |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone, with stone slate roofs |
St Nicholas' Church, Sturry, is a special church in the village of Sturry, near Canterbury, in East Kent. It stands right by the River Stour. This church is unique because it's a joint Anglican and Methodist church. This means people who are Anglican or Methodist can both worship there together.
The church serves a large area. This includes the villages of Sturry with Fordwich, and Westbere with Hersden. In 1965, the church was given a special status called Grade I listed by English Heritage. This means it's a very important historic building.
Contents
Discovering St Nicholas' Church History
When Was St Nicholas' Church First Built?
The first records of a church in Sturry date back to around 690 AD. This was a very long time ago! King Wihtred gave the land, then called Stour-gau, to the Abbess of Minster-in-Thanet. It's thought that the church was built in the same spot where it stands today.
In 1011 AD, the Danes invaded and destroyed the Minster. Sturry was then given to St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury by the Danish King Cnut.
How Did the Norman Church Look?
The stone church buildings you see today were first built during the Norman times. It's not clear if the earlier Saxon church was made of stone or wood. The Normans built a long, rectangular main hall called a nave. They added a smaller rectangular area at the east end for the chancel, where the altar is. A square tower was built at the west end.
Like many Norman churches, Sturry church had a north door and a south door directly opposite each other. It also had high windows, three on each side of the nave and two on each side of the chancel. The tower was built in three parts, like a castle tower. The church was mentioned in the 1086 AD Domesday Book.
How Did the Church Change Over Time?
Around the year 1200, people decided the church was too dark and narrow. So, two aisles (side sections) were added, one on the north and one on the south, next to the nave. Arches were made in the nave walls to connect to these new aisles. The old Norman windows were blocked up, but you can still see where they were in the stone above the arches. The entrance to the tower was also made bigger to match the new arches.
In 1230 AD, the chancel was updated. New windows were put in, including double windows on the south and east walls. A single window was added on the north wall. They also built an aumbry, which is a small cupboard for important church items like the chalice. A piscina was added too, which is a special sink with a drain for washing communion vessels. Seats for the clergy (church leaders) and a sacristy (a small room off the chancel) were also built.
Around the 13th century, two more big changes happened. The chancel arch, which separates the nave from the chancel, was made larger. The original Norman arch was taken down and a taller, wider pointed arch was built. The builders reused the original Norman stone columns, which you can still see today. Also, a spire was built on top of the tower. This spire was made of wood with wooden shingles on the outside.
What About the Aisles and Font?
The north aisle was made wider around 1370. Three new windows were put along the wall, and two wider ones at the ends of the aisle. These windows are the most detailed in the church and once had beautiful stained glass. Outside, the drip mouldings (which keep rain off) have carved heads and funny faces. Some are just stone creations, but you can see carvings of the Abbot of St Augustine's and the king at the west end.
The font, used for baptisms, was originally near the westernmost pillar in the north aisle. A small niche called a chrismatory was built into the pillar. This was for the jar of holy oil and the candle used in the baptism ceremony. The font itself is from the late 12th or early 13th century. However, the decorated ledge around the top was added later, during the Tudor era, and you can see Tudor roses on it. Under the east window in the north aisle, there was an altar dedicated to Our Lady.
The south aisle was widened much later, in 1490, during the time of King Henry VII. At this time, it was popular to make drip mouldings square. Some carved heads were added, but the weather on the south side has worn away many of the faces. The altar in the south aisle was dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Thomas Childmel was buried in the south aisle in 1496 after he gave lead to cover the roof.
Changes from 1500 to 1800
By 1500, both aisles had altars and furniture. However, there were no pews or chairs, so people mostly stood or sat on the stone floor. A beam crossed the chancel, with a screen below it. This screen helped keep small children and animals out of the chancel. On the beam stood the Rood, which showed Christ on the cross with Mary and St. John. There was no pulpit, so priests stood on the chancel step to speak to the people.
From 1527, the Reformation began. During this time, the altars, lights, and screen were removed. Instead, movable altar tables, pews (benches), and a pulpit were brought in.
The church's records from 1716 describe the inside of the church in the mid-1700s. It had high, panelled box pews, a reading desk, a pulpit, and a wooden communion table. A gallery for singers was built at the west end in 1744. The Royal Arms were painted on a board and hung above the chancel arch. The Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments were also painted and hung on either side of the east window.
What Happened Since 1800?
In the early 1800s, around 1812 or 1813, the church's spire either fell down or was taken down. It caused some damage to the tower, but the tower was rebuilt with battlements (like on a castle). You might notice that the top of the tower isn't a perfect square. At the same time, the old porch, built in Tudor times, was repaired. Its walls were rebuilt with brick, and the roof was redone. Some of the old wooden beams are still visible inside.
Later in the 1800s, all the wooden panelling was removed. The altar was moved back to the east wall. Today, there's a wooden movable altar table in the same spot. The current pulpit and choir stalls were set up. A decorative screen called a reredos was moved behind the chancel. However, this reredos was taken down on June 3, 1972, by people from the church. On the back of one of its stone parts, it was written that it was built on December 3, 1867, by a mason from London.
The reredos was replaced by a mustard-yellow curtain. But this curtain was removed in 2007 because of mildew and damp. Now, the bare stone wall behind the altar is decorated only by a central wood and brass cross.
See also
