St Deny's Church, Sleaford
Encyclopedia
St Denys' is a Grade I listed Church of England
church in Sleaford
, Lincolnshire. It is notable for having one of the oldest stone broach spires
in England and an altar rail
designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Built in the early 13th century, the building was added to during the 15th, 18th and 19th centuries. Over its lifetime the church has been used as a barracks (during the English Civil War
) and as a school room (during the 19th century). Members of the local Carre family are buried in the building, and two altar tombs are dedicated to their memory.
, the church is located on the eastern side of the market place in Sleaford and stands in a small graveyard with a vicarage to the north side. The building has a large atrium upon which sits the bell tower. The nave
, with clerestory
and aisles to both sides, leads to a chancel
. The church has a north transept
which houses a small chapel.
in the town is in the 1086 Domesday book
, but the current building largely dates from 1180 when it consisted of a tower, nave
and southern aisle. A spire was added to the top of the existing tower in around 1220, bringing their combined height to 144 feet (44 m). It is one of the oldest stone broach spires in England. A chantry
chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was founded in 1271 by Thomas Blount and John de Bucham and is located at the eastern end of the north aisle. The building was extended and remodelled several times. The north transept
was built, along with decoration of the nave, during the 13th century and a clerestory
was added in around 1430.
During the English Civil War
St Denys' was used as a barracks for parliamentary troops who destroyed the interior furnishings (including the organ and eagle lectern
), broke the stained glass windows and looted valuables. It was not until 1772 that Edward Evans, a ship's surgeon on HMS Egmont
, donated £300 to replace the destroyed organ with one built by Samuel Green
. During the 1790s the church was gifted an altar
rail, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, that had been left spare during the renovation of Lincoln Cathedral
.
A north aisle was added by local builders Kirk and Parry in 1853 to accommodate an expanded congregation. At the same time the church's interior was renovated, at a cost of £3,500. In his 1872 book Sleaford, and the wapentakes of Flaxwell and Aswardhurn a local vicar, Edward Trollope
, called St Denys' "the most beautiful and attractive building in the town". During the early part of the 19th century part of the building was used as a schoolroom; a practice Trollope described as "desecration".
The church was damaged by an electrical storm
in 1884 and parts, including the spire, were rebuilt by Kirk and Parry. A 15th century window removed from the front facade was reconstructed and stands in the grounds at the rear of the church. In 1891 the Green organ was sold and replaced with one by Forster & Andrews of Hull.
The Scottish-born architect Sir Ninian Comper
restored the church's rood screen
in 1919, dedicating it in memory of the Peake family, killed during World War I
. The building was Grade I listed in on 16 July 1949, the listing notes "particularly good mid Cl4 tracery and ornament".
In 2008 solar panels were installed on the roof of the south aisle at a cost of £57,000, half of which was provided by grants through the British government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme.
around St Denys' was expanded several times: first in 1391, when the Bishop of Lincoln
John Bokingham
purchased a 150 by 8 ft (45.7 by 2.4 m) piece of land to one side of the church. It was further enlarged to the north in 1796. Until 1837 the grounds were surrounded by a dwarf wall, when it was replaced by a more substantial stone wall. The churchyard fell out of use as a burial ground
some time before the 1870s.
, Norfolk. The bells carry inscriptions from Osborn:
) are buried in the church. George Carre, the first Carre to inhabit the town, was entombed
in the nave of the church in 1521, but was later moved and laid in the floor of the chancel. His tomb slab carries the inscription Hic Jacet Georgius Carre et Anne uxor ejus, qui quidem Georgius obiit—Ano. Dni. 1521.
On the northern side of the chancel opening is an altar tomb containing dedications to George's eldest son Robert Carre (who founded the local grammar school), his first wife Elizabeth and some of their children. Opposite, on the southern side, is a similar tomb dedicated to Robert's fourth son (and eventual heir) Sir Edward Carre which carries the effigies of Edward and his second wife, Anne Dyer.
(died 23 January 1789) is buried in the church with her son.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
church in Sleaford
Sleaford
Sleaford is a town in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is located thirteen miles northeast of Grantham, seventeen miles west of Boston, and nineteen miles south of Lincoln, and had a total resident population of around 14,500 in 6,167 households at the time...
, Lincolnshire. It is notable for having one of the oldest stone broach spires
Broach spire
A broach spire is a type of spire, a tall pyramidal or conical structure usually on the top of a tower or a turret. A broach spire starts on a square base and is carried up to a tapering octagonal spire by means of triangular faces....
in England and an altar rail
Altar rails
Altar rails are a set of railings, sometimes ornate and frequently of marble or wood, delimiting the chancel in a church, the part of the sanctuary that contains the altar. A gate at the centre divides the line into two parts. The sanctuary is a figure of heaven, into which entry is not guaranteed...
designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Built in the early 13th century, the building was added to during the 15th, 18th and 19th centuries. Over its lifetime the church has been used as a barracks (during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
) and as a school room (during the 19th century). Members of the local Carre family are buried in the building, and two altar tombs are dedicated to their memory.
Location and description
Dedicated to Saint DenisDenis
Saint Denis is a Christian martyr and saint. In the third century, he was Bishop of Paris. He was martyred in connection with the Decian persecution of Christians, shortly after A.D. 250...
, the church is located on the eastern side of the market place in Sleaford and stands in a small graveyard with a vicarage to the north side. The building has a large atrium upon which sits the bell tower. 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...
, with clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
and aisles to both sides, leads to a 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...
. The church has a north 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...
which houses a small chapel.
History
The earliest mention of a 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....
in the town is in the 1086 Domesday book
Domesday 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...
, but the current building largely dates from 1180 when it consisted of a tower, 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...
and southern aisle. A spire was added to the top of the existing tower in around 1220, bringing their combined height to 144 feet (44 m). It is one of the oldest stone broach spires in England. A chantry
Chantry
Chantry is the English term for a fund established to pay for a priest to celebrate sung Masses for a specified purpose, generally for the soul of the deceased donor. Chantries were endowed with lands given by donors, the income from which maintained the chantry priest...
chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was founded in 1271 by Thomas Blount and John de Bucham and is located at the eastern end of the north aisle. The building was extended and remodelled several times. The north 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...
was built, along with decoration of the nave, during the 13th century and a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
was added in around 1430.
During the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
St Denys' was used as a barracks for parliamentary troops who destroyed the interior furnishings (including the organ and eagle lectern
Lectern
A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, usually placed on a stand or affixed to some other form of support, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon...
), broke the stained glass windows and looted valuables. It was not until 1772 that Edward Evans, a ship's surgeon on HMS Egmont
HMS Egmont (1768)
HMS Egmont was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 29 August 1768 at Deptford. She was designed by Sir Thomas Slade, and was the only ship built to her draught....
, donated £300 to replace the destroyed organ with one built by Samuel Green
Samuel Green (organ builder)
Samuel Green , was an organ-builder.Green learnt his art under the elder Byfield, Bridge, and Jordan, and afterwards entered into several years' partnership with the younger Byfield. Green built a large number of organs for the cathedrals, and for churches in London and the country, instruments...
. During the 1790s the church was gifted an altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
rail, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, that had been left spare during the renovation of Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
.
A north aisle was added by local builders Kirk and Parry in 1853 to accommodate an expanded congregation. At the same time the church's interior was renovated, at a cost of £3,500. In his 1872 book Sleaford, and the wapentakes of Flaxwell and Aswardhurn a local vicar, Edward Trollope
Edward Trollope
Edward Trollope was an antiquary and an Anglican Bishop of Nottingham in the Victorian era.-Life:Trollope was born at Uffington, near Stamford in Lincolnshire, on 15 April 1817, the sixth son of Sir John Trollope, of Casewick Hall, Uffington, and his wife, Anne, the daughter of Henry Thorold of...
, called St Denys' "the most beautiful and attractive building in the town". During the early part of the 19th century part of the building was used as a schoolroom; a practice Trollope described as "desecration".
The church was damaged by an electrical storm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
in 1884 and parts, including the spire, were rebuilt by Kirk and Parry. A 15th century window removed from the front facade was reconstructed and stands in the grounds at the rear of the church. In 1891 the Green organ was sold and replaced with one by Forster & Andrews of Hull.
The Scottish-born architect Sir Ninian Comper
Ninian Comper
Sir John Ninian Comper was a Scottish-born architect. He was one of the last of the great Gothic Revival architects, noted for his churches and their furnishings...
restored the church's rood screen
Rood screen
The rood screen is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or wrought iron...
in 1919, dedicating it in memory of the Peake family, killed during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The building was Grade I listed in on 16 July 1949, the listing notes "particularly good mid Cl4 tracery and ornament".
In 2008 solar panels were installed on the roof of the south aisle at a cost of £57,000, half of which was provided by grants through the British government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme.
Churchyard
The churchyardChurchyard
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....
around St Denys' was expanded several times: first in 1391, when the Bishop of Lincoln
Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral...
John Bokingham
John Bokyngham
John Bokyngham was a medieval Bishop of Lincoln.Bokyngham was keeper of the seal of Thomas, regent in England from March through July 1360, and then Dean of Lichfield. He was appointed Lord Privy Seal in 1360 and held that office until 1363.Bokyngham was elected bishop between 20 August 1362 and 4...
purchased a 150 by 8 ft (45.7 by 2.4 m) piece of land to one side of the church. It was further enlarged to the north in 1796. Until 1837 the grounds were surrounded by a dwarf wall, when it was replaced by a more substantial stone wall. The churchyard fell out of use as a burial ground
Burial Ground
Burial Ground is the ninth studio album by Swedish death metal band Grave, released in June 2010.-Track listing:# "Liberation" - 3:40# "Semblance In Black" - 7:50# "Dismembered Mind" - 6:10# "Ridden With Belief" - 7:57# "Conquerer" - 4:44...
some time before the 1870s.
Bells
Originally St Denys' had 6 bells, some dating from 1600, one from 1707 and two undated. In 1796 a new peal of 8 bells were cast by Thomas Osborn of DownhamDownham
Downham is a district located in south-east London, occupying much of the boundary between the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Bromley; it is the name of an electoral ward covering much of the area on the Lewisham side...
, Norfolk. The bells carry inscriptions from Osborn:
Monuments and burials
The oldest tombstone in the church dates from the 13th century, however it was faded and illegible, according to Trollope, even in the 1870s.Carre family
Members of the Carre family (a notable local family, originally from NorthumberlandNorthumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
) are buried in the church. George Carre, the first Carre to inhabit the town, was entombed
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
in the nave of the church in 1521, but was later moved and laid in the floor of the chancel. His tomb slab carries the inscription Hic Jacet Georgius Carre et Anne uxor ejus, qui quidem Georgius obiit—Ano. Dni. 1521.
On the northern side of the chancel opening is an altar tomb containing dedications to George's eldest son Robert Carre (who founded the local grammar school), his first wife Elizabeth and some of their children. Opposite, on the southern side, is a similar tomb dedicated to Robert's fourth son (and eventual heir) Sir Edward Carre which carries the effigies of Edward and his second wife, Anne Dyer.
Later burials
The English novelist Frances BrookeFrances Brooke
Frances Moore Brooke was an English novelist, essayist, playwright and translator.-Biography:Brooke was born in, Claypole, Lincolnshire, the daughter of a clergyman. By the late 1740s, she had moved to London, where she embarked on her career as a poet and playwright...
(died 23 January 1789) is buried in the church with her son.
Further reading
- Simon Jenkins: England's Thousand Best Churches. London: Penguin Books 1999/2009, p. 450f