St Nicholas Church, Leicester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Nicholas Church, Leicester |
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St Nicholas
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| 52°38′6.53″N 1°8′27.29″W / 52.6351472°N 1.1409139°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church / Modern Catholic |
| Website | www.stnicholasleicester.com |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Nicholas |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Leicester |
| Diocese | Leicester |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Nicholas Church is a very old Church of England church in Leicester, England. It is known as the oldest place of worship in the city.
Contents
Where is St Nicholas Church?
The church is located right next to the Jewry Wall. This wall is a large part of an ancient Roman building. East of the church, you can find where the Roman forum used to be.
Even though it's a bit far from the main campus, St Nicholas Church is the official church for the University of Leicester.
A Look at the Church's History
Early Days and Roman Connections
Some parts of the church building are definitely from around 880 AD. Experts who studied the building in the early 2000s even thought some parts might be from Roman times. The church tower was built during the Norman period.
The church was officially opened in 879. Today, it still has most of its original main area (called the nave) and the tower where the main parts of the church meet. Some people think an even older Anglo-Saxon church was on this spot. This older church might have been the main church for the area from 679 to 874. The current church might even use some materials from that very old building.
Repairs and Changes Over Time
By 1825, the church was in very bad shape. There were plans to tear it down. But because there wasn't enough money to build a new church, St Nicholas was repaired instead. These big repairs happened between 1875 and 1884. During this time, a new section (called a north aisle) was added.
Repairs continued into the 1900s. A special eight-sided font, which is a basin used for baptisms, was moved to St Nicholas. This font was made in the 1400s and came from another church that was no longer used.
Welcoming Everyone
In the 1950s, St Nicholas Church started focusing on helping university students with their spiritual needs. Today, as a church in the city center without many local residents, St Nicholas has become an Inclusive Church. This means it works hard to welcome people from all backgrounds. It welcomes people with different identities, abilities, and life situations.
The Church's Special Ornithologist
St Nicholas is one of the only churches in the UK to have an Ornithologist in Residence. An ornithologist is a scientist who studies birds. This special role is held by Dr. Alexander Bond. He is a main curator for birds at the Natural History Museum, London.
The Church Organ
The church's organ was built in 1890 by a local company called J. Porritt. It uses some pipes from an even older organ built in the 1830s. In 1975, the organ was cleaned and fixed up. This cost about £4,500. It has continued to be repaired and updated since then.
Ian Imlay was the organist for a long time, from 1960 until he passed away in August 2021.
The Church Bells
The church has three bells. They are very old, made in 1617, 1656, and 1710. In 1949, these three bells were taken down from the tower. One big bell replaced them.
For the millennium celebrations (the year 2000), the three old bells were put back up. This cost £5,848, which was raised through donations. Because the church tower is not very strong, the bells were put back so they could only be chimed (rung without swinging). The smallest bell had a crack, so it was repaired. All three bells were taken to a special company in Nottingham to be fixed and prepared.
The bells came back to the church in July 2002. They were rung to welcome Queen Elizabeth II when she visited Leicester for her Golden Jubilee. This was a big celebration of her 50 years as Queen.
