St Swithun's Church, East Retford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Swithun's Church, East Retford
St Swithun's Church, East Retford
53°19′26.43″N 0°56′26.79″W / 53.3240083°N 0.9407750°W / 53.3240083; -0.9407750
Location	East Retford
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
History
Dedication	St Swithun
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II* listed
Specifications
Bells	10
Administration
Parish	Retford
Deanery	Bassetlaw and Bawtry
Archdeaconry	Newark
Diocese	Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham
Province	York

St Swithun's Church is a very old and important church in East Retford, England. It's part of the Church of England and is a "Grade II* listed" building. This means it's a special historical building that needs to be protected. The church is dedicated to St Swithun, a famous English bishop from the 9th century. You can find it right in the middle of Retford town.

A Look at St Swithun's Church History

Stained glass window in St Swithun's, East Retford

The nave and chancel

The church was first built way back in 1258. Over the years, it has changed quite a bit. The building is shaped like a cross, which is a common design for churches. Most of it now looks like "Perpendicular architecture." This is a style of building that was popular in England from the late 14th to mid-16th centuries.

You can still see older parts of the church, like the south and west doorways. These show styles from even earlier times. The church has a tall, square tower with battlements, which are like the tops of old castles. This tower holds a clock and 10 bells!

The oldest part of the church that hasn't changed much is the north transept. A transept is like a "wing" of the church. This area is now a special chapel that remembers people from wars. Inside, the main part of the church, called the nave, has rows of arches. There's also a stone pulpit, which is where sermons are given. You can also see a cool eagle-shaped stand made of oak, called a lectern. This is where readings are done.

Art and Figures in the Church

The church has many beautiful stained glass windows. These windows were made by famous artists from the Victorian era. Some of the artists include Clayton and Bell, Charles Eamer Kempe, and Hardman & Co. Each window tells a story or shows a religious scene using colorful glass.

Above the southern door, there is a stone figure. People in the area used to say it was St Swithun himself. However, experts believe it's actually a bishop. This figure was brought from a very old monastery in Portugal. It was given to the church around 1895 and placed in its current spot.

Drawings and Records of the Church

Many artists have drawn pictures of St Swithun's Church over the centuries. The British Museum has several drawings by Samuel Hieronymous Grimm. These include a general view of the outside of the church. He also drew the detailed patterns in the east window.

Another artist, Thomas Kerrich, drew a window that used to be in the chancel but is no longer there. John Buckler also made drawings of the church in the early 1800s. These drawings help us see how the church has changed over time.

Fires and Rebuilding

Even though the church was founded in the 13th century, it has faced challenges. In 1528, a big fire swept through Retford and damaged the church. Records from 1535 mention that some parts of the church, like the "chauntries" (small chapels), were ruined by fire.

Later, in 1651, the tower and the chancel (the area around the altar) collapsed. They were rebuilt soon after, in 1658. This means that much of the church you see today is the result of rebuilding and repairs. The pointy tops on the tower, called pinnacles, were added in 1810. More restoration work happened in the 1850s and again in 1905.

The Church Organ

St Swithun's church organ

The church has a long history with its organ, which is a very large musical instrument. The first organ was put in the church in 1770. It actually came from a theatre in Newark! A man named Robert Sutton gave it to the church.

Over the years, the organ was updated and replaced. In 1795, a new organ by Donaldson was bought. The front part of the old organ was then moved to a church in West Retford. The Donaldson organ was replaced in 1841 by an even bigger one made by Walker of London. This organ was made much larger in 1886 by Brindley & Foster. Later, other companies like Henry Willis & Sons also worked on it.

Organists of St Swithun's

Many talented musicians have played the organ at St Swithun's Church. They are called organists. Here is a list of some of the people who have held this important role:

The Church Bells

St Swithun's Church has a set of ten bells. All of these bells were made by a company called John Taylor & Co in 1968. The largest bell, called the tenor bell, is very heavy. It weighs about 23 hundredweight (which is over 1,100 kilograms!). This bell rings in the musical note of Eb.

Parish Connections

St Swithun's Church is part of a larger group of churches called a "joint parish." This means it works together with several other churches in the area. These churches include:

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Nottinghamshire
• Listed buildings in Retford