St Gregory's Church, Fledborough
Encyclopedia
St Gregory's Church, Fledborough, is a redundant
Anglican
church in Fledborough, Nottinghamshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The church stands at the end of a lane, in meadows near the River Trent
.
was in "a ruinous condition", and it was rebuilt and shortened. It was rebuilt again in 1890, and the aisle
s and south porch were rebuilt in 1912.
During the 18th century the church gained a degree of notoriety because its rector, Rev W. Sweetapple, granted licences for marriage to runaway couples. Because of this it came to be regarded as "the Gretna Green
of the Midlands". In 1820, Thomas Arnold
, later headmaster of Rugby School
, married Mary Penrose, the daughter of the rector, in the church. The church was vested
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 1 January 1991.
. The tower and porch are roofed in tiles, while the rest of the church has slate
roofs. Its plan consists of a four-bay
nave
with a low clerestory, north and south aisles, a south porch, a chancel, and a west tower. The tower is in two stages separated by a string course. It has angle buttress
es and a pyramidal roof. On the south side of its roof is a bellcote. In the lower stage is a west door, above which is a 12th-century lancet window
. In the upper stage are two-light bell openings on all sides. The north aisle has a doorway with a pointed arch between three-light windows, one to the west and three to the east; there is a similar window on its east wall. In the north and south walls of the clerestory are three two-light windows. The chancel has a three-light window in the north wall, and two three-light windows in the south wall. The east window also has three lights, the central one of which is partly blocked with masonry. On the ridge of the east gable
of the chancel is a cross. The south aisle also contains three three-light windows, and on its east wall are a blocked pointed arcade
arch and a blocked doorway. In its west wall is another three-light window. The south porch has diagonal buttresses, a coped
gable with a ridge cross, and an arched entrance. Its east wall contains a sundial
. Built into the exterior of the wall of the south aisle is the carved effigy
of a woman, holding what is thought to be a heart. It dates from the 14th century and originally lay recumbent on a tomb.
, over which are remaining parts of an Easter Sepulchre
. These consist of panels carved with depictions of sleeping soldiers, angels, and Christ rising from the dead. There is another piscina in the south aisle wall. Beside the south doorway are the remains of a stoup
. Also on the south wall is a simple alms box
bearing the inscription "Remember the Poor 1684". The middle light of the east window, partly blocked by masonry, contains a canopied
niche
. The windows on each side contain 14th-century stained glass. The right window has a depiction of the Virgin and Child
, under which is a knight
. In the left window are depictions of John the Baptist
and Saint Andrew
. There are more fragments of stained glass from this period in other windows. Most of the church furniture, including the pulpit
and the octagonal font
, dates from the 19th century. In the north aisle are tombs dating from the 14th century. Inside the tower is the broken alabaster
effigy of a knight.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in Fledborough, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. The church stands at the end of a lane, in meadows near the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
.
History
The oldest fabric in the church is the lower part of the tower, which was built in the 12th century. Much of the rest of the church dates from the first half of the 14th century. By 1764 the chancelChancel
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...
was in "a ruinous condition", and it was rebuilt and shortened. It was rebuilt again in 1890, and the 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...
s and south porch were rebuilt in 1912.
During the 18th century the church gained a degree of notoriety because its rector, Rev W. Sweetapple, granted licences for marriage to runaway couples. Because of this it came to be regarded as "the Gretna Green
Gretna Green
Gretna Green is a village in the south of Scotland famous for runaway weddings. It is in Dumfries and Galloway, near the mouth of the River Esk and was historically the first village in Scotland, following the old coaching route from London to Edinburgh. Gretna Green has a railway station serving...
of the Midlands". In 1820, Thomas Arnold
Thomas Arnold
Dr Thomas Arnold was a British educator and historian. Arnold was an early supporter of the Broad Church Anglican movement...
, later headmaster of Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
, married Mary Penrose, the daughter of the rector, in the church. The church was vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 1 January 1991.
Exterior
The church is constructed in stone with some brick in the clerestoriesClerestory
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...
. The tower and porch are roofed in tiles, while the rest of the church has slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs. Its plan consists of a four-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
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 a low clerestory, north and south aisles, a south porch, a chancel, and a west tower. The tower is in two stages separated by a string course. It has angle buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es and a pyramidal roof. On the south side of its roof is a bellcote. In the lower stage is a west door, above which is a 12th-century lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
. In the upper stage are two-light bell openings on all sides. The north aisle has a doorway with a pointed arch between three-light windows, one to the west and three to the east; there is a similar window on its east wall. In the north and south walls of the clerestory are three two-light windows. The chancel has a three-light window in the north wall, and two three-light windows in the south wall. The east window also has three lights, the central one of which is partly blocked with masonry. On the ridge of the east gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
of the chancel is a cross. The south aisle also contains three three-light windows, and on its east wall are a blocked pointed arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
arch and a blocked doorway. In its west wall is another three-light window. The south porch has diagonal buttresses, a coped
Coping (architecture)
Coping , consists of the capping or covering of a wall.A splayed or wedge coping slopes in a single direction; a saddle coping slopes to either side of a central high point....
gable with a ridge cross, and an arched entrance. Its east wall contains 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...
. Built into the exterior of the wall of the south aisle is the carved effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
of a woman, holding what is thought to be a heart. It dates from the 14th century and originally lay recumbent on a tomb.
Interior
The nave is divided from the aisles by four-bay arcades. In the north wall of the chancel is a piscinaPiscina
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...
, over which are remaining parts of an Easter Sepulchre
Easter Sepulchre
An Easter Sepulchre is a feature of English church architecture .-Description:The Easter Sepulchre is an arched recess generally in the north wall of the chancel, in which from Good Friday to Easter day were deposited the crucifix and sacred elements in commemoration of Christ's entombment and...
. These consist of panels carved with depictions of sleeping soldiers, angels, and Christ rising from the dead. There is another piscina in the south aisle wall. Beside the south doorway are the remains of a stoup
Holy water font
A holy water font or stoup is a vessel containing holy water generally placed near the entrance of a church. It is used in Catholic Church and Lutheran churches, as well as some Anglican churches to make the Sign of the Cross using the holy water upon entrance and exit...
. Also on the south wall is a simple alms box
Mite box
The term mite box refers to a box that is used to save coins for charitable purposes. Contemporary mite boxes are usually made of cardboard and given out to church congregations during the Lenten season. The mite boxes are collected by the church and donations are given to the poor...
bearing the inscription "Remember the Poor 1684". The middle light of the east window, partly blocked by masonry, contains a canopied
Canopy (building)
A canopy is an overhead roof or else a structure over which a fabric or metal covering is attached, able to provide shade or shelter. A canopy can also be a tent, generally without a floor....
niche
Niche (architecture)
A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
. The windows on each side contain 14th-century stained glass. The right window has a depiction of the Virgin and Child
Madonna (art)
Images of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child or Virgin and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity where Mary remains...
, under which is a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
. In the left window are depictions of John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
and Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
. There are more fragments of stained glass from this period in other windows. Most of the church furniture, including the pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
and the octagonal 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:...
, dates from the 19th century. In the north aisle are tombs dating from the 14th century. Inside the tower is the broken alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
effigy of a knight.