St Peter and St Paul and St Elizabeth Catholic Church, Coughton facts for kids
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The St Peter and St Paul and St Elizabeth Catholic Church is a Catholic church. It was built between 1851 and 1853. The Throckmorton family built it on the grounds of their home, Coughton Court. Sir Robert Throckmorton, 8th Baronet, asked for it to be built. This happened after the Catholic Emancipation Acts. These laws allowed Catholics to practice their faith openly again. This was the first time since the Tudor period. The church is now a Grade II listed building. This means it is an important historic building.
Contents
History of the Church
Why the Church Was Built
The Throckmorton family stayed Catholic even after England broke away from Rome. This happened in the 1530s. They were called recusant Catholics. This meant they secretly practiced their faith. They held their church services, called Mass, in a room at Coughton Court. This room acted like a secret chapel.
You can still see signs of this secret practice today. There is a hidden "priest hole" in the house's tower. This was a secret hiding place for priests. It shows how important the house was for Catholics during that time.
Building the New Church
Later, laws changed to give Catholics more freedom. This was called Catholic Emancipation. After these changes, Sir Robert Throckmorton decided to build a new church. The old church on the estate had become an Anglican church. The new church was built to celebrate the new freedoms for Catholics in Britain. They could now build non-Anglican places of worship.
The church was designed by Charles Hansom. He was a Catholic architect. His brother, J A Hansom, designed the famous Hansom cabs. Charles Hansom designed the church with a very thin tower. This design was inspired by Irish church buildings.
The stone for the church came from the Throckmorton family's own land. The church officially opened in 1857. It was used by the family and other Catholics in the area.
Inside the Historic Church
The church has a special chapel in the northeast. This chapel was used as the family's private seating area. It even has its own separate entrance. The carved stone pulpit and the font (for baptisms) were made in the mid-1850s.
The beautiful stained glass window at the east end was made by John Hardman. He worked on it between 1855 and 1862. The organ, which is in the west gallery, was built by Henry Bevington of London around 1855.
The Church Today
Who Cares for the Church
The Coughton Court estate was given to the National Trust in 1946. The church is now looked after by the National Trust. It is also cared for by the Catholic Historic Churches Trust. However, the church is still considered to be privately owned.
The church still holds Masses (church services). It is served by the Our Lady and St Joseph Parish in Alcester.
Inside the Modern Church
The church has the Stations of the Cross. These are a series of images showing Jesus's journey to his crucifixion. There are also several statues inside, including one of the Virgin Mary. The ceiling above the altar has a set of images painted on it.
The area around the altar, called the sanctuary, was changed in the 1960s. This was done to fit the new way of celebrating Mass. These changes came after the Second Vatican Council. The altar was moved so the priest could face the people during the service.
