St Denys' Church, Sleaford
St Denys' Church , Sleaford | |
---|---|
St Denys | |
Administration | |
Province | Canterbury |
Diocese | Lincoln |
Deanery | Lafford |
Parish | New Sleaford |
Clergy | |
Vicar(s) | Rev. Philip Johnson |
Laity | |
Director of music | Lee Rooke |
Churchwarden(s) | Richard Clash Philip Starks |
St Denys' Church is a medieval
The church is a
Description
St Denys' Church is the
As of 2015, regular church services were scheduled for Sundays and Wednesdays.
History
Background and origins
The Sleaford area has been inhabited since the late
A speculative reassessment of
Expansion
Sleaford and its church were altered considerably in the 12th century, especially under Bishop Alexander of Lincoln; Sleaford Castle was constructed to the west of the town during his episcopate and work on the earliest surviving parts of the church may date to this period.[18] Facing onto the market place, the tower is the oldest part of the present church building and dates to the late 12th century, probably c. 1180.[19] Its broach spire has been dated to the early 13th century, possibly c. 1220.[19] A prebendary of Sleaford is recorded in the late 13th century whose office was probably founded by one of the post-Conquest Bishops, who were its patrons. The vicarage of Sleaford was founded and endowed in 1274; the record has survived and shows Henry de Sinderby being presented to the vicarage by the Treasurer of Lincoln and Prebendary of Sleaford, Richard de Belleau; the Bishop instituted him that March. The vicar could profit from tithes and oblations, and was given a house formerly occupied by one Roger the chaplain, but he had to pay £15 to the prebendary at the feasts of the Nativity and St John the Baptist. The prebendary otherwise retained his jurisdiction over the parish.[20]
A period of rebuilding and remodelling occurred in the late
Early modern and later
A diocesan return of 1563 recorded 145 households in the parish of New Sleaford,
For most of the 19th century, the Anglican community dominated Sleaford's civic bodies, including the
The 19th century also witnessed two major restorations to St Denys'. As the congregation expanded, the need for greater space was met with the addition of a new north aisle in 1853. This coincided with a wider restoration project carried out at the cost of £3,500 by Kirk and Parry, which included the demolition of the galleries, the addition of a strainer arch and the relocation of the organ.[29][34] The church was damaged by an electrical storm in 1884 and parts, including the stone broach spire—one of the oldest in England[35]—were rebuilt by Kirk and Parry in 1885–86.[29] The old organ was sold in 1891 and St Hugh's Chapel and the choir vestry were dedicated to the memory of a local solicitor, Henry Snow, in 1906.[29][36] Electric lighting was introduced in 1951–53 and extensive restoration work was carried out in 1966, when the organ was rebuilt, and in 1988.[29] Fifty-four solar panels were added in 2008, at the cost of £70,000, and by 2011 were able to cover the church's electricity bill.[37]
Architecture, fittings and grounds
St Denys' is constructed in Ancaster stone across four periods: the earliest sections in a transitional style between Early English Gothic and Decorated Gothic; the late medieval nave, aisles and chancel in Decorated Gothic; the later Perpendicular Gothic clerestory and chancel; and the Victorian neo-Gothic restorations. The earliest parts consist of the late 12th or early 13th-century tower and spire on the west side of the church, which have a combined height of 144 feet (44 m). Its arched entrance exhibits features of both the Early English and Decorated Gothic styles. During the restoration, a 15th-century window was removed, placed in the churchyard and replaced by arcading and three circlets, deemed "somewhat absurd" by the architectural historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner.[35][19]
With the exception of the tower and spire, much of the church was rebuilt in the Decorated Gothic style during the late 14th century; Pevsner argued that Sleaford was among those Lincolnshire churches which demonstrate that "For the decorated style, Lincolnshire is the best county of all".[38] The nave and aisles extend eastwards from the tower. Outside, parts of the aisles are highly decorated; the north doorway includes shafts, mouldings and finials, while the simpler south doorway has niches and monster carvings. The northern doorway has a gable which encroaches up into a five-light window.[39] Pevsner remarks that St Denys' is particularly notable for its tracery,[35] adding that "it is a prolonged delight to follow the mason's inventiveness along the building".[2] The church's entry on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest also notes its "particularly good mid [14th-century] tracery and ornament".[19] The window above the north doorway is a good example; it contains elements shared by others of the Decorated style around the church, including reticulated ogee arches of varying complexity.[39] The north transept includes a six-light window—"one of the great flowing designs of the country", according to Pevsner, Harris and Antram.[40] Simon Jenkins, in his 2012 England's Thousand Best Churches, awards St Denys three stars and says of the window tracery: "This is Lincolnshire at its most curvaceous, best displayed in the north transept north window. Words can barely do justice to this work... This is a work of infinite complexity, with variations repeated throughout the church."[3]
A Perpendicular clerestory adorns the aisles with three-light windows; it dates to the early 15th century, possibly c. 1430. The north aisle was extended in 1853, but the architects, Kirk and Parry, reused the windows.[19][40]
Inside, the tower ceiling has a
The earliest peal recorded at St Denys' had six bells: three dating from 1600, one from 1707 and two undated. In 1796 a new peal of eight bells were cast by Thomas Osborn of
The
-
The doorway in the tower of the church, showing three orders of shafts and zigzag mouldings in the arch
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The five-light window with reticulated ogee arches above the doorway of the north aisle
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The rood screen, restored by Sir Ninian Comper in 1918[41]
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View into the north transept and the chantry chapel
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East window of the chancel
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The pulpit
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15th-century window removed from the tower during restoration work in c. 1884
Memorials
According to Edward Trollope, the oldest tombstone in the church was from the 13th century; it was faded and illegible when he recorded it in or before 1872. A 14th-century slab, originally for a now-lost effigy, is in the church, and brass plate from the same period was discovered during the 1853 restoration. Richard Dokke, along with his wife Joanna and son John, are commemorated in a plaque dating to the 1430s, and a plaque to William Harebeter and his wife Elizabeth also dates to the 15th century.[58]
Although Gervase Holles recorded many 16th-century monuments when he visited Sleaford, most have disappeared.[59] Amongst those which remain are the tombs and plaques commemorating the first members of the Carre family to settle in Sleaford. The Carres hailed from Northumberland, but George Carre (d. 1521), a wool merchant, established himself in the town and is commemorated in St Denys' by a brass. On the northern side of the chancel is an alabaster monument dedicated to George's eldest surviving son Robert Carre (d. 1590), his three wives and some of their children; he became lord of the manors of Old and New Sleaford. Opposite, on the southern side, is an alabaster altar tomb by Maximilian Colt dedicated to Robert's fourth son and eventual heir, Sir Edward Carre, 1st Baronet (d. 1618), which carries the effigies of Edward and one of his two wives, probably his second, Anne Dyer; according to Trollope, it was "said to have been mutilated during the Civil War".[60][61] Further plaques commemorate Sir Edward Carre's grandson, Sir Robert Carre, 3rd Baronet (d. 1682), and his son, Sir Edward (d. 1683), who is also commemorated by a bust in the church.[62]
There are numerous other memorials to prominent Sleafordians. Early examples are plaques to John Walpoole (d. 1591, monument dated 1631), the draper Richard Warsope (d. 1609, erected by Robert Camock), and Rev. Theophilus Brittaine (d. 1696).[63] Later monuments include those of Richard Moore (d. 1771) and Elizabeth Cooper (d. 1792), as well as a slab for Eleanor (d. 1725), wife of John Peart.[61][64] The novelist Frances Brooke (d. 1789) is buried in the church.[65] Clergymen include William Seller, Joseph Francis (d. 1749) and Anthony Skepper (d. 1773). A window is dedicated to a local solicitor, Henry Snow (d. 1905), and memorials on the north wall include George Jeudwine (d. 1952), another solicitor, and the local historian William Hosford (d. 1987).[66] The monument to Ann Bankes (d. 1834) incorporates a statue of a woman sinking into the ground, which Pevsner called "remarkably tender", while the tablet to Ann Moore (d. 1830) in the transept is noted as "good Grecian".[61]
References
Notes
- ^ An earlier reredos, designed in "fine Gothic" style by Charles Kirk, was erected in memory of M.P. Moore (d. 1866).[42][43]
- ^ Other windows have been dedicated to prominent parishioners, including Dr Richard Yerburgh, Charles Kirk, Francis and Benjamin Handley, Caroline E. Moore, Robert George Bankes, John Bissill, John Caparn, Mrs. Lucy Ashington, Henrietta Bankes, John Pearson, and William Hoster. Thomas Parry, C. Drake Newton and Mrs. Warwick.[47]
- ^ The first members were M.P. Moore, John Warwick, Edward Newbatt, William Foster, Thomas Simpson, Edward Allen, J.T. Marston, Charles Kirk and Thomas Parry. Newbatt and Kirk declined the offer and so W.H. Holdich and Rev. Richard Yerburgh were elected in their place.[56]
Citations
- ^ "Listed buildings". Historic England. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
- ^ a b Pevsner & Harris 1973, p. 634.
- ^ a b c Jenkins 2012, pp. 450–451.
- ^ a b c "Sleaford Parish Church – St Denys', Sleaford". A Church Near You. Church of England. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ^ "Contact us". St Denys' Church, Sleaford. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- ^ "New vicar at St Denys' Church". Sleaford Standard. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ^ Trollope 1872, p. 147.
- ^ a b Hoare 1988, p. 12.
- ^ a b Mahany & Roffe 1979, p. 6.
- ^ Mahany & Roffe 1979, pp. 8–10.
- ^ Mahany & Roffe 1979, p. 10.
- ^ Ekwall 1977, p. 462.
- ^ "Settlement of Old Sleaford (Reference Name MLI91636)". Lincs to the Past. Lincolnshire Archives. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
- ^ Mahany & Roffe 1979, pp. 11–16.
- ^ Pawley 1996, pp. 15–16.
- ^ Mahany & Roffe 1979, p. 11.
- ^ Mahany & Roffe 1979, pp. 13–14.
- ^ Pawley 1996, p. 25.
- ^ a b c d e f g Historic England. "Parish Church of St Denys (1062157)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ Trollope 1872, pp. 140–141.
- ^ a b Trollope 1872, p. 152.
- ^ Pawley 1996, p. 33.
- ^ Trollope 1872, pp. 147–148.
- ^ "General Settlement Record for New Sleaford" Heritage Gateway. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
- ^ Whiteman & Clapinson 1987, pp. 363.
- ^ Pawley 1996, p. 42.
- ^ Trollope 1872, p. 164.
- ^ Trollope 1872, p. 151.
- ^ a b c d e Hoare 1988, p. 1.
- ^ a b Pawley 1996, p. 88.
- ^ Ellis 1981, p. 101.
- ^ Pawley 1996, pp. 88–89.
- ^ Ellis 1981, p. 98.
- ^ Trollope 1872, p. 149.
- ^ a b c Pevsner, Harris & Antram 2002, p. 650.
- ^ "Dedication of a Chapel". Grantham Journal. 14 April 1906. p. 6. Retrieved 6 July 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Profit for St Denys' solar panel project in Sleaford". BBC News. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ^ Pevsner & Harris 1973, p. 38.
- ^ a b Pevsner, Harris & Antram 2002, pp. 650–651.
- ^ a b Pevsner, Harris & Antram 2002, p. 651.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Pevsner, Harris & Antram 2002, p. 652.
- ^ a b Trollope 1872, p. 154.
- ^ "Chronicle for the Year 1866". Lincolnshire Chronicle. 5 January 1867. p. 8. Retrieved 26 March 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Trollope 1872, p. 163.
- ^ a b "BEM honour for services to the community". Sleaford Standard. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
- ^ a b "Commissions". Glenn Carter Glass. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
- ^ Trollope 1872, pp. 163–164.
- ^ Trollope 1872, pp. 150–151.
- ^ "Sleaford, S. Denys". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ "Lincolnshire Sleaford, St. Denys, Market Place [N14356]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ "Lincolnshire Sleaford, St. Denys, Market Place [N14357]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Lincolnshire Sleaford, St. Denys, Market Place [N14358]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ "Lincolnshire Sleaford, St. Denys, Market Place [D00199]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ Trollope 1872, pp. 165–166.
- ^ Trollope 1872, pp. 166–167.
- ^ a b Ellis 1981, p. 77.
- ^ "Sleaford Cemetery". Sleaford Town Council. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ^ Trollope 1872, p. 155.
- ^ Trollope 1872, pp. 155–156.
- ^ Trollope 1872, pp. 131, 135, 156–158.
- ^ a b c Pevsner, Harris & Antram 2002, p. 653.
- ^ Trollope 1872, pp. 159–160.
- ^ Trollope 1872, pp. 161–162.
- ^ Trollope 1872, p. 162.
- ^ Edwards, Mary Jane (2008). "Brooke [née Moore], Frances (bap. 1724, d. 1789)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press.
- ^ Hoare 1988, p. 8.
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-0-19-869103-7
- Ellis, Charles (1981), Mid-Victorian Sleaford: 1851 – 1871, Lincoln: Lincolnshire Library Service, ISBN 978-0-86111-102-2
- Hoare, Douglas (1988), St Denys' Church, Sleaford, Sleaford: St Denys', Sleaford, Parochial Church Council, OCLC 877129833
- ISBN 978-1-84614-664-0
- Mahany, Christine; Roffe, David (1979), Sleaford, Stamford: South Lincolnshire Archaeological Unit, ISBN 978-0-906295-02-1
- Pawley, Simon (1996), The Book of Sleaford, Finmere: Baron Birch for Quotes Ltd., ISBN 978-0-86023-559-0
- Penguin
- ISBN 978-0-300-09620-0
- OCLC 228661584
- Whiteman, A.; Clapinson, M. (1987), The Compton Census of 1676: A Critical Edition, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0197260411
Further reading
- Bowers, Rev. Peter W. A. (October 1967). "The Organs of St. Denys' Church, Sleaford". ISSN 0030-4883.
- Hoare, Douglas C. (1978). The Cult of St Denys in England in the Middle Ages (MPhil thesis). University of Nottingham.
- Howe, Canon W. Norton; Mann (rev.), Rev. P. E. (1961), St. Denys' Church, Sleaford: Guide Book, Sleaford: W. K. Morton & Sons, OCLC 12299346
External links