St Oswald's Church, Kirk Sandall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Oswald's Church, Kirk Sandall
St Oswald's Church, Kirk Sandall, from the southwest
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OS grid reference	SE 609 081
Location	Kirk Sandall, Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
History
Dedication	Saint Oswald
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	5 June 1968
Architectural type	Church
Style	Norman, Gothic
Groundbreaking	12th century
Completed	1935
Specifications
Materials	Limestone, lead and tile roofs

St Oswald's Church is an old Anglican church in Kirk Sandall, near Doncaster, England. It is no longer used for regular church services. However, it is a very important historical building. The church is cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust.

History of St Oswald's Church

The church is named after Saint Oswald. He was a king of Northumbria. There is a story that his body rested here after he died in 642. A church was already on this spot when the Domesday Book survey happened. This survey was a big record of England made in 1086.

Most of the church you see today was built in the 1100s. More parts were added or changed in the 1300s and 1500s. The church was repaired in 1864 and again in 1934. The Rokeby Chapel is a special part of the church. It is named after William Rokeby. He was the church's leader, called a rector, from 1487 to 1502.

William Rokeby later became a vicar in Halifax. He then became a Bishop in Ireland. He was also the Lord Chancellor of Ireland. This was a very important legal job. Finally, he became an Archbishop in Dublin. The Rokeby Chapel was built soon after he died in 1521. The church tower was added in 1828. But it had to be made shorter in 1935 because it was not safe.

By the 1960s, fewer people lived in Kirk Sandall. A new church was built in a growing village nearby. St Oswald's Church was officially closed on March 1, 1979. It was then given to the Churches Conservation Trust on July 27, 1980. This group looks after old churches.

Church Design and Materials

St Oswald's Church is built from limestone. Some parts use rough stones called rubble. Other parts use smooth, cut stones called ashlar. The roofs are made of lead and tiles.

Outside the Church

The church has a nave (the main part) with two sections. It has aisles on the north and south sides. There is a porch on the south side. A tower stands on the west side, rising from the south aisle. The chancel (the area around the altar) has two sections. To its north is the larger Rokeby Chapel, also with two sections.

The nave and aisles mostly show Norman architecture. This style was popular in the 11th and 12th centuries. The chancel is in the Gothic style. The Rokeby Chapel is a later Gothic style called Perpendicular. The tower had to be shortened in the 1930s because it was unsafe. It holds one bell, made in 1690. The tower has a pyramid-shaped roof.

The porch has a pointed arch. The main church doorway is in the Norman style. It has a round arch with two decorative layers. On the west wall of the nave, there is a window with three sections. Above this window, you can see stones arranged in a special "herring-bone" pattern. People think these stones are very old. They might be from the Anglo-Saxon era and were part of the first church here.

The Rokeby Chapel has a parapet (a low wall with gaps) on its roof. It also has a decorative stone band, called a string course, carved with animals. Its east window is now blocked but once had five sections. On its north wall, there are strong supports called buttresses. These stand between two windows, each with four sections.

Inside the Church

The arches between the nave and the aisles are in the Norman style. They have eight-sided pillars with wide, square tops called capitals. The roof of the nave was built in the 1800s. In the south aisle, there is a round-headed piscina. This was a small basin used for washing sacred vessels.

The baptismal font is round and in the Norman style. It stands on a base with two steps. There are two carved wooden screens inside. One is at the west end of the chancel. The other is at the west end of the chapel. On the north wall of the chapel, you can find the tomb of William Rokeby.

On the east wall, where a window used to be, there is a marble monument. It honors Thomas Rokeby, who died in 1621. On the south wall, there is another monument. This one is for a different William Rokeby, who died in 1662. The chapel also has memorial floor slabs and brasses. These are special metal plaques that remember people. One of the windows has stained glass from the 1500s.

Churchyard Features

In the churchyard, you can see parts of an old cross. It probably dates from the medieval period. It is made of a type of limestone called Magnesian Limestone. It has an eight-sided base and a weathered stone shaft. The shaft is about 1 meter (3.3 feet) tall. This cross is also a Grade II listed building. This means it is an important historical structure.

Visiting St Oswald's Church Today

You can visit St Oswald's Church. The key is kept by someone living nearby. A local group called the Friends of St Oswald's, Kirk Sandall, helps the Churches Conservation Trust. They support the church's care. Different events happen at the church, like exhibitions. Sometimes, church services are held there. These are arranged with the local parish church, The Good Shepherd.

See also

• List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Northern England