St Wilfrid's Church, Hickleton
Encyclopedia
St Wilfrid's Church, Hickleton, is a parish church
of the Church of England
in Hickleton
, near Doncaster
in South Yorkshire
.
road as you enter the village of Hickleton from the east. Archaeological excavations date the existing building back to circa
1150 but there is the suggestion of a church on this location in Saxon
times. The building is Grade I listed.
The chancel
arch is a fine example of Norman
construction, indicating that the church originally consisted of simply a small nave
and chancel, whilst the western end of the nave and the porch
date back to about 1300.
The tower is perpendicular in style, being built of typical South Yorkshire Magnesian limestone and sandstone, which was possibly added when the church and its lands were gifted to the Priory of Monk Bretton
by the Archbishop Neville of York
in 1386 following the destruction of the priory by fire.
took place between 1876–1888 and was supervised by G F Bodley
. During this period a new north aisle
and sacristry were added, the roof was raised and renewed, the sanctuary
was paved with marble
and new screens were added to enclose the altar
.
The second set of extensive work took place in the 1940s, when the building was seriously affected by a geological fault which caused it to list dangerously. A concrete structure was installed under the foundations which allows for the structure to be corrected on hyraudlic jacks should there be any further movement.
to the north-west of the church has three human skulls set behind a grille above which are the words (in Latin
and English) "Today for me, Tomorrow for thee". A local legend has arisen which suggests they are the skulls of three sheep rustlers
, hanged at nearby High Melton
, but it is more likely that they were obtained by Lord Halifax to serve as a memento mori
.
Parish 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....
of the Church of England
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...
in Hickleton
Hickleton
Hickleton is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 290.There are records of Hickleton’s history dating back to Saxon times, although some consider the settlement has Roman roots.More recently, it was the 'estate...
, near Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
.
Location and History
The existing church of St Wilfrid lies to the south of the A635 Doncaster-BarnsleyBarnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
road as you enter the village of Hickleton from the east. Archaeological excavations date the existing building back to circa
C.
c. may refer to:* Circa: in genealogy and historical writing, c. means circa, and is used when the dates of events are approximately known...
1150 but there is the suggestion of a church on this location in Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times. The building is Grade I listed.
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...
arch is a fine example of Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
construction, indicating that the church originally consisted of simply a small 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 chancel, whilst the western end of the nave and the porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
date back to about 1300.
The tower is perpendicular in style, being built of typical South Yorkshire Magnesian limestone and sandstone, which was possibly added when the church and its lands were gifted to the Priory of Monk Bretton
Monk Bretton Priory
Originally a monastery under the Cluniac order, Monk Bretton Priory is located in the village of Lundwood, in the borough of Barnsley, England. It was founded in 1154 as the Priory of St. Mary Magdelene of Lund by Adam Fitswane, sited on the Lund, from Old Norse. In the course of time the priory...
by the Archbishop Neville of York
Alexander Neville
Alexander Neville was a late medieval prelate who served as Archbishop of York from 1374 to 1388.-Life:Born in about 1340, he was a younger son of Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby and Alice de Audley...
in 1386 following the destruction of the priory by fire.
Restorations
The first major restorationVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
took place between 1876–1888 and was supervised by G F Bodley
George Frederick Bodley
George Frederick Bodley was an English architect working in the Gothic revival style.-Personal life:Bodley was the youngest son of William Hulme Bodley, M.D. of Edinburgh, physician at Hull Royal Infirmary, Kingston upon Hull, who in 1838 retired to his wife's home town, Brighton, Sussex, England....
. During this period a new north aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
and sacristry were added, the roof was raised and renewed, the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
was paved with marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
and new screens were added to enclose the 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...
.
The second set of extensive work took place in the 1940s, when the building was seriously affected by a geological fault which caused it to list dangerously. A concrete structure was installed under the foundations which allows for the structure to be corrected on hyraudlic jacks should there be any further movement.
Lychgate and Skulls
The lychgateLychgate
A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, or as two separate words lych gate, is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.-Name:...
to the north-west of the church has three human skulls set behind a grille above which are the words (in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and English) "Today for me, Tomorrow for thee". A local legend has arisen which suggests they are the skulls of three sheep rustlers
Cattle raiding
Cattle raiding is the act of stealing cattle.In Australia, such stealing is often referred to as duffing, and the person as a duffer...
, hanged at nearby High Melton
High Melton
High Melton is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 339.-External links:*...
, but it is more likely that they were obtained by Lord Halifax to serve as a memento mori
Memento mori
Memento mori is a Latin phrase translated as "Remember your mortality", "Remember you must die" or "Remember you will die". It names a genre of artistic work which varies widely, but which all share the same purpose: to remind people of their own mortality...
.