Church Stoke
Encyclopedia
Churchstoke or Church Stoke is a large village in Powys
, but adjacent to the English-Welsh border, on the junction of the A489
and A490
roads. It is overlooked by Roundton Hill. The nearest town is Montgomery
. An outline map of the Parish of Churchstoke may be seen here. The location of Churchstoke itself may be seen here.
.
and convenience store
(Harry Tuffins), as well as a primary school, two public house
s (The Horse and Jockey pub and The Court House Hotel), a Chinese takeaway (The Golden Fish) and fresh locally made ice cream (Dairy Dreams). A market is also held here on Sundays. The central area of Churchstoke is a Conservation Area
.
today is largely the result of 19th century rebuilding, but it retains its 13th century tower with a later timber belfry
. From the period prior to the 19th century, only a font
, a stoup and a chest have survived up to three phases of restoration and reconstruction. The main body of the church with its large high pitched roof dates to the second half of the 19th century, although the sequence of construction is not completely clear.
The layout of the churchyard
and its location immediately above the River Camlad suggests an early medieval origin. In 1881 the interior was laid out in its present form and the church was rededicated to St. Nicholas (having previously been dedicated to St. Mary).
The church has a 13th century square tower at the western end, reduced in height in 1812 with a typical Montgomeryshire
style timber-framed
belfry and a pyramidal roof which was re-tiled with oak roof shingle
s in 2005. The tower was used as a place of refuge during 14th century feuds and later in English Civil War
battles. In 1646 the Parliamentarians
attacked the Royalists
who were planning to stay overnight at Churchstoke. The Royalists took refuge in the church and in the ensuing battle the Parliamentarians set fire to the church door forcing the Royalists to surrender.
The wooden belfry and the spire
were added in 1815. The clock was installed in 1887. There is a suggestion that the tower was originally higher than it stands now.
In 1751 the south wall of the church was taken down and a new south aisle was constructed. In 1812 the old church was taken down and a new nave was built using stone from Churchstoke Hall and Churchstoke Quarries. It was roofed with slate from Corndon Hill
and included a schoolroom and galleries. The present iron columns, made in Coalbrookdale
presumably carried the galleries. They now support the lowered roofline. In 1881 the schoolroom and galleries were removed along with the old box pew
s and the interior was laid out in its present form. The exterior buttresses were added together with the nave
windows and the ground level lowered around the church. The north and south walls of the chancel
were rebuilt, and a new south porch was added. The aisles are divided from the nave by arcades of six bays above which is a frieze of timber arcading. The columns have octagonal stone bases, hollow Coalbrookdale iron columns and square decorative capitals.
The chancel
is supposed to have been added in 1867 and is narrower than the nave
. There are encaustic floor tiles throughout the chancel and sanctuary, and the tiled reredos
has recently been uncovered. There is a piscina
in the south wall of the chancel, and three 19th Century brasses. These were probably added in 1867. The south transept
houses the organ and the north transept forms the choir vestry
underneath which is the boiler house.
The church is situated in a raised sub-circular churchyard which has been extended in recent times. A few signs of musket
shots from the skirmishes in the Civil War can still be seen, notably on the soffit of the upper storey round-headed window on the north wall of the tower. The graveyard extension to the west of the church was consecrated in 1868. The earliest grave recorded is a sandstone slab to Sarah (died 1749) and Hugh Pugh (died 1768). There is a sundial
without gnomon
on the south side of the church near the entrance porch. There are many fine mature trees in the graveyard, which are protected by law, as they are in the Conservation Area
.
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, but adjacent to the English-Welsh border, on the junction of the A489
A489 road
The A489 is a road in the United Kingdom running from Craven Arms, Shropshire to Machynlleth, Powys and crossing the Wales-England border.The road starts about one mile north of Craven Arms...
and A490
A490 road
The A490 is a road in the United Kingdom running from Churchstoke, Powys to Llanfyllin, also in Powys. The road runs for a short distance through Shropshire in England.- The route :...
roads. It is overlooked by Roundton Hill. The nearest town is Montgomery
Montgomery, Powys
The historic county town of Montgomery in Powys, Wales lies just three miles from the English border in the Welsh Marches. It is best known for its castle, Montgomery Castle, begun in 1223, and its parish church, begun in 1227. However its origins go back much further, as seen by the Celtic Iron...
. An outline map of the Parish of Churchstoke may be seen here. The location of Churchstoke itself may be seen here.
Etymology
The placename identifies it as a farm (or settlement) with a church; recorded as 'Cirestoc' in 1086 in The Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
.
Today
The village has many facilities including a large supermarketSupermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
and convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
(Harry Tuffins), as well as a primary school, two public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s (The Horse and Jockey pub and The Court House Hotel), a Chinese takeaway (The Golden Fish) and fresh locally made ice cream (Dairy Dreams). A market is also held here on Sundays. The central area of Churchstoke is a Conservation Area
Conservation Area (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, the term Conservation Area nearly always applies to an area considered worthy of preservation or enhancement because of its special architectural or historic interest, "the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance," as required by the Planning ...
.
St. Nicholas Church
The parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
today is largely the result of 19th century rebuilding, but it retains its 13th century tower with a later timber belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
. From the period prior to the 19th century, only a font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
, a stoup and a chest have survived up to three phases of restoration and reconstruction. The main body of the church with its large high pitched roof dates to the second half of the 19th century, although the sequence of construction is not completely clear.
The layout of the churchyard
Churchyard
A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
and its location immediately above the River Camlad suggests an early medieval origin. In 1881 the interior was laid out in its present form and the church was rededicated to St. Nicholas (having previously been dedicated to St. Mary).
The church has a 13th century square tower at the western end, reduced in height in 1812 with a typical Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...
style timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
belfry and a pyramidal roof which was re-tiled with oak roof shingle
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
s in 2005. The tower was used as a place of refuge during 14th century feuds and later in English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
battles. In 1646 the Parliamentarians
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
attacked the Royalists
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
who were planning to stay overnight at Churchstoke. The Royalists took refuge in the church and in the ensuing battle the Parliamentarians set fire to the church door forcing the Royalists to surrender.
The wooden belfry and the spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
were added in 1815. The clock was installed in 1887. There is a suggestion that the tower was originally higher than it stands now.
In 1751 the south wall of the church was taken down and a new south aisle was constructed. In 1812 the old church was taken down and a new nave was built using stone from Churchstoke Hall and Churchstoke Quarries. It was roofed with slate from Corndon Hill
Corndon Hill
Corndon Hill is a hill in Powys, Mid Wales, whose summit rises to 513 m above sea level.It is surrounded on three sides by the English county of Shropshire and forms a prominent landmark in the Wales-England border...
and included a schoolroom and galleries. The present iron columns, made in Coalbrookdale
Coalbrookdale
Coalbrookdale is a village in the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, England, containing a settlement of great significance in the history of iron ore smelting. This is where iron ore was first smelted by Abraham Darby using easily mined "coking coal". The coal was drawn from drift mines in the sides...
presumably carried the galleries. They now support the lowered roofline. In 1881 the schoolroom and galleries were removed along with the old box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s and the interior was laid out in its present form. The exterior buttresses were added together with the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
windows and the ground level lowered around the church. The north and south walls of the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
were rebuilt, and a new south porch was added. The aisles are divided from the nave by arcades of six bays above which is a frieze of timber arcading. The columns have octagonal stone bases, hollow Coalbrookdale iron columns and square decorative capitals.
The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
is supposed to have been added in 1867 and is narrower than the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
. There are encaustic floor tiles throughout the chancel and sanctuary, and the tiled reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
has recently been uncovered. There is a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
in the south wall of the chancel, and three 19th Century brasses. These were probably added in 1867. The south transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
houses the organ and the north transept forms the choir vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
underneath which is the boiler house.
The church is situated in a raised sub-circular churchyard which has been extended in recent times. A few signs of musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
shots from the skirmishes in the Civil War can still be seen, notably on the soffit of the upper storey round-headed window on the north wall of the tower. The graveyard extension to the west of the church was consecrated in 1868. The earliest grave recorded is a sandstone slab to Sarah (died 1749) and Hugh Pugh (died 1768). There is a sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
without gnomon
Gnomon
The gnomon is the part of a sundial that casts the shadow. Gnomon is an ancient Greek word meaning "indicator", "one who discerns," or "that which reveals."It has come to be used for a variety of purposes in mathematics and other fields....
on the south side of the church near the entrance porch. There are many fine mature trees in the graveyard, which are protected by law, as they are in the Conservation Area
Conservation Area (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, the term Conservation Area nearly always applies to an area considered worthy of preservation or enhancement because of its special architectural or historic interest, "the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance," as required by the Planning ...
.