St Sampson's Church, Cricklade facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Sampson's, Cricklade |
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| Church of St Sampson | |
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 St Sampson's, Cricklade
Location in Wiltshire
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| 51°38′26″N 1°51′29″W / 51.6406°N 1.8580°W | |
| OS grid reference | SU09929354 |
| Location | Cricklade, Wiltshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Years built | Late 12th century, restored 1863–4 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Cricklade |
| Deanery | North Wiltshire |
| Archdeaconry | Malmesbury |
| Diocese | Bristol |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Sampson's Church is a special old church in the town of Cricklade, Wiltshire, England. It belongs to the Church of England. This large church has a tall tower in the middle and wide side sections called "aisles."
The church building you see today was mostly built in the late 1100s. However, some parts are even older, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period (before 1066). St Sampson's is considered a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historical site.
The church is named after Saint Samson of Dol. He was born in Wales in the late 400s and helped start Christianity in a region of France called Brittany.
Contents
History of the Church
People have worshipped on this spot for a very long time. A stone church was first mentioned here around the year 973. The famous Domesday Book from 1086 also recorded the church. At that time, the land it stood on belonged to Westminster Abbey.
Building Through the Ages
You can still find small pieces of Anglo-Saxon stonework in the church today. Look closely at the south wall of the main part of the church (the nave).
- The arches on the north side of the church were added in the late 1100s.
- The arches on the south side were built in the 1200s, during a redesign.
- The chancel, which is the area around the altar, was first built in the 1200s. It was then changed in the 1300s and 1400s.
- To the north, you'll find the Hungerford chapel. This part was likely built for Sir Edmund Hungerford, who passed away in 1484.
The Famous Tower
The church's tall tower started being built in the early 1500s. It was finished in the 1550s. Important families like the Hungerfords and the Duke of Northumberland helped pay for it.
A famous expert on buildings, Nikolaus Pevsner, described the tower as "proud and self-certain." Another writer, Simon Jenkins, called it "massive rather than graceful" in his book England's Thousand Best Churches.
The Jenner Family
For a long time, the owners of Widhill manor, a nearby estate, claimed they had special use of the north aisle of the church. From 1624, this was the Jenner family. Robert Jenner (around 1584–1651) bought the manor. He was a successful silver merchant from London.
You can find his tomb in the north aisle. It's made of limestone with a black marble top. Robert Jenner also left money to build Jenner's School right next to the churchyard.
Later Changes
The church had a big restoration (a major repair and update) in 1863–1864. This work was done by an architect named Ewan Christian.
- The beautiful stained glass in the west window was made by Charles Eamer Kempe in 1888.
- In 1930, Martin Travers designed two more windows and decorated the two altars.
The church was officially named a Grade I listed building in 1955. This means it's protected because of its historical and architectural importance.
Crosses in the Churchyard
You can find two old crosses in the churchyard of St Sampson's.
- One is a broken piece of a medieval limestone cross. It sits on a rough, eight-sided base. You can see it near a gatehouse at the northern edge of the churchyard.
- Another cross from the 1300s stands in the northeast part of the churchyard. This one is made of limestone and has a carved top. This was actually the market cross for the town. It used to stand in the High Street crossroads until about 1817-1820. This cross is a Grade II* listed structure, meaning it's also very important.
The Church Parish
A "parish" is an area served by a church. Until 1952, Cricklade had two separate church parishes: St Sampson's and St Mary's.
- In 1952, these two parishes joined together to form the "United Parish of Cricklade."
- At the same time, St Sampson's also joined with the church of St John the Baptist in Latton.
- In 1981, St Mary's Church was no longer used, so St Sampson's became the only church for the Cricklade parish.
Since 2007, St Sampson's and its parish have been part of a larger group of churches called the Upper Thames Group. This group includes churches in Ashton Keynes, Leigh, and Latton.
