St. Peter's Church, Barnburgh
Encyclopedia
St. Peter's Church, Barnburgh, is a parish church
in the Church of England
in Barnburgh
, famous for the legend
of the 'Cat and Man'.
, near Doncaster
, in South Yorkshire
, and serves the communities of Barnburgh and Harlington
.
, a Nave
with North and South Aisles
with a porch and a Chancel
with a North Aisle or Chapel. The church is built of a mixture of sandstone and magnesium limestone.
Although there is been a church in this site since c.
1150AD, nothing remains of the original church.
There is a private Chantry Chapel north of the chancel for the Cresacre family, who were Lords of Barnburgh from the 13th to the 16th century. Most of this chapel is taken up by the tomb of Sir Percival Cresacre (who died in 1477) and his wife, Alice (died 1450).
through Sprotborough and High Melton
.
As he approached Barnburgh, a wild cat (or lynx
), reputedly sprang out of the branches of a tree and landed on the back of his horse. The horse threw its rider to the ground and fled. The cat then turned upon the knight and there followed a long, deadly, struggle between the two which continued all the way from Ludwell Hill to Barnburgh.
After fighting the cat the mile's distance to the village of Barnburgh, the knight made for the porch of St Peter's Church, presumably trying to get inside the Church and close the door on the animal. The fight had reputedly been so fierce, however, that Sir Percival fell dying in the Church Porch and, in his last dying struggle, stretched out his feet and crushed the cat against the wall of the Porch.
Thus, the legend goes, the cat killed the man and the man killed the cat. They were found some time later by the search party that went out after the Knight's horse had returned home riderless.
Stones in the floor of the porch of St Peter's are tainted with red. There is also a cat at the feet of the Cresacre effigy in the north aisle of St Peter's Church.
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
in 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 Barnburgh
Barnburgh
Barnburgh is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. The village is adjacent to the village of Harlington - the parish contains both villages, and according to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,979...
, famous for the legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
of the 'Cat and Man'.
Background
The Church of St Peter is found at the centre of the village of BarnburghBarnburgh
Barnburgh is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. The village is adjacent to the village of Harlington - the parish contains both villages, and according to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,979...
, 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...
, and serves the communities of Barnburgh and Harlington
Harlington, South Yorkshire
Harlington is a village in the civil parish of Barnburgh in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. The village lies less than a mile from the adjoining village of Barnburgh and the parish contains both villages. According to the 2001 census, Harlington had a population...
.
Construction
St. Peter's consists of a tower of four stages, surmounted by a small, squat spireSpire
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....
, a 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 North and South Aisles
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...
with a porch and 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...
with a North Aisle or Chapel. The church is built of a mixture of sandstone and magnesium limestone.
Although there is been a church in this site since c.
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1150AD, nothing remains of the original church.
There is a private Chantry Chapel north of the chancel for the Cresacre family, who were Lords of Barnburgh from the 13th to the 16th century. Most of this chapel is taken up by the tomb of Sir Percival Cresacre (who died in 1477) and his wife, Alice (died 1450).
Cat and Man Legend
The Cat and Man Legend relates to events which occurred before the fifteenth century. There was formerly a Hall at Barnburgh which was in the possession of the Cresacre family. A knight of the Cresacre family (reputedly Sir Percival Cresacre, but disputed) was returning home late on the heavily wooded track from DoncasterDoncaster
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"...
through Sprotborough and 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:*...
.
As he approached Barnburgh, a wild cat (or lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
), reputedly sprang out of the branches of a tree and landed on the back of his horse. The horse threw its rider to the ground and fled. The cat then turned upon the knight and there followed a long, deadly, struggle between the two which continued all the way from Ludwell Hill to Barnburgh.
After fighting the cat the mile's distance to the village of Barnburgh, the knight made for the porch of St Peter's Church, presumably trying to get inside the Church and close the door on the animal. The fight had reputedly been so fierce, however, that Sir Percival fell dying in the Church Porch and, in his last dying struggle, stretched out his feet and crushed the cat against the wall of the Porch.
Thus, the legend goes, the cat killed the man and the man killed the cat. They were found some time later by the search party that went out after the Knight's horse had returned home riderless.
Stones in the floor of the porch of St Peter's are tainted with red. There is also a cat at the feet of the Cresacre effigy in the north aisle of St Peter's Church.