Church of St Cyriac and St Julitta, Swaffham Prior
| Church of St Cyriac and St Julitta, Swaffham Prior | ||
|---|---|---|
Style Gothic, Gothic Revival | | |
| Specifications | ||
| Materials | Tower in flint and clunch with limestone dressings Body in gault brick with stone dressings Roof slated | |
The Church of St Cyriac and St Julitta is a
Anglican church in the village of Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building,[1] and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[2] The church stands in an elevated position above the village street, the B1102 road, some 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Cambridge.[2][3] It is less than 30 metres (100 ft) from the adjoining Church of St Mary, and both churches share the same churchyard.[2][4]
History
The church has a dual
Quiricus and Julietta), Saint Julitta being the mother of Saint Cyriac. Both this church and the adjacent church of St Mary were established by the early 13th century. Initially separate parishes, their benefices were united in 1667. In 1743 the nave and chancel of St Cyriac's were restored, but by 1783 the church was in a dilapidated state, and services were being held in St Mary's. By the 1790s the roof of St Cyriac's was collapsing, and it was overgrown with ivy. However, in 1779 the tower of St Mary's had been struck by lightning, and in 1802, when builders were working on the tower, part of it collapsed. It was then decided to demolish St Cyriac's church, other than the tower, and rebuild it.[4]
Work began in 1806 to designs by Charles Humfrey of Cambridge. The cost of the work was over £3,100 (equivalent to £320,000 in 2023),champing' church, one of 27 churches in England and Scotland in which you can camp overnight.
Scottish poet Edwin Muir (1887 – 1959) is buried in the churchyard.
Architecture
The tower is constructed in
plinth with a frieze decorated in a chequerboard pattern in brick and stone. In the bottom stage of the tower is a west doorway, and above this is a three-light window. The top stage contains two-light bell openings on each face. The parapet is decorated with flushwork. At the west end of the church is a gallery.[1] There is a ring of six bells, all cast in 1791 by John Briant.[6] Although St Mary's also has a fine Romanesque tower, only the tower of Ss. Cyriac & Julitta contains bells, and so they are still rung every Sunday for services at St Mary's. As of February 2019, the tenor bell has been deemed 'unringable'.[7]
External links
- The Churches Conservation Trust: St Cyriac and Julitta, Swaffham Prior
- St Cyriac and Julitta - Champing FAQ's
- Champing
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to St Cyriac and St Julitta's church, Swaffham Prior.
- ^ a b Historic England, "Church of St Cyriac and Julitta, Swaffham Prior (1127041)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 8 July 2013
- ^ a b c Church of St Cyriac & St Julitta, Swaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire, Churches Conservation Trust, retrieved 9 December 2016
- ^ Swaffham Prior, Streetmap, retrieved 5 March 2011
- ^ a b c Wareham, A. F.; Wright, A. P. M., eds. (2002), "Swaffham Prior: Churches", A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely, Victoria County History, vol. 10, University of London & History of Parliament Trust, pp. 294–301, retrieved 5 March 2011
- ^ a b UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ Swaffham Prior, SS Cyriac & Julitta, Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers, retrieved 5 March 2011
- ^ "Swaffham Prior details - Ely District Bells". ely.elyda.org.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2019.