St Peter's Church, Birstall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church |
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| Church of Saint Peter | |
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| Location | Birstall, West Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Open Evangelical |
| Website | http://www.stpetersbirstall.co.uk/ |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed building |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, slate roof. |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Birstall |
| Archdeaconry | Leeds |
| Diocese | Leeds |
| Province | York |
St. Peter's Church in Birstall, West Yorkshire, England, is an active Anglican parish church. It is part of the Diocese of Leeds. This church is a special place for worship and community events.
Contents
A Look Back: Church History
St. Peter's Church is very old! It was first built around the year 1100. This was during the time of the Normans, who were people from France who came to England. The church was started by a person named Radulphus de Paganell.
The tower is the oldest part of the church. Its first two sections were built in the 1100s. Later, in the 1400s, the tower was made taller. The church also had a big makeover between 1863 and 1870. A famous architect named W.H. Crossland from Leeds helped with this work.
In 1963, St. Peter's Church was given a special status. It became a "Grade II* listed building." This means it's a very important historic building that needs to be protected. More recently, between 1997 and 2000, a screen was added inside. This created new meeting rooms for the church community.
Church Design: What It Looks Like
The church has a unique design that shows its long history.
Outside the Church
The church tower has three main levels. The bottom two levels are from the original Norman building. You can see strong supports called buttresses on the corners. In the 1400s, tall, pointed decorations called pinnacles were added to the top of the tower.
On the west side of the tower, there's a round clock. On the south side, you can see a sundial from 1660. A sundial tells time using the sun's shadow. The chancel, which is the part of the church where the altar is, also has strong buttresses. Next to the chancel, there's a small chapel, a room for the priest (called a vestry), and a space for the organ.
Inside the Church
When you go inside, you'll see the nave. This is the main part of the church where people sit. It has four sections with arches supported by eight-sided pillars. The tower has a rounded arch from around 1100, which is very old!
The outer aisles, which are the side sections, have seven arches supported by pillars shaped like four-leaf clovers. The chancel has three sections. The walls in the nave and inner aisles are plastered. However, the outer aisles and chancel have exposed stone walls, showing the original building materials.
The floor in the south aisle is made of large flat stones. The chancel has a tiled floor. The chapel in the aisle has a beautiful floor made of small pieces, like a mosaic.
Special Items Inside the Church
St. Peter's Church has many interesting items inside.
An old painting from the early 1900s hangs on the east wall. It shows Jesus in glory and was painted by Reginald Frampton.
The font is where babies are baptized. It's an eight-sided stone bowl with designs carved into it. This font is from the 1400s! It was put away in 1771 but brought back into use in 1841.
The pulpit, where the priest gives sermons, is made of stone. It has a fancy metal railing. The wooden seats, called pews, are from around 1870 and have round designs at the top.
Behind the altar, there's a decorated screen called a reredos. This one shows a famous scene called the Last Supper, which is a meal Jesus shared with his disciples.
