The Middle Ages - and beyond

St Mary's church, Barnstone

All the photographs are by Geoff Buxton from the Southwell & Nottingham Church History Project

St Mary's church, Barnstone is built in the Early English style of the 13th century.

However, inside above the entrance is a plaque:
‘This Chapel was re-built by T. D. Hall Esq. mdccclvi’.

MDCCCLVI = 1856. It's not 13th-century but Victorian.

The Victorians loved medieval church architecture and most churches built in the 19th century were designed in the styles of the Middle Ages.

The design of Barnstone church is very simple. It has a nave where the people sit and a chancel where the priest celebrates Holy Communion. There is a turret with two bells.

A wealthy landowner from Whatton, Thomas Dickinson Hall paid for the church to be built in 1856 at a cost of £1200. There were seats for 100 people.

HOWEVER,

this was not the first church to be built here.

The first mention of Barnstone church is before 1215 in the time of King John when Barnstone church was described as a chapel of Langar.

('Chapel' is the word used for a church belonging to another church; St Andrew's, Langar would be called the mother church.)

So there hasn't been a church here for 150 years - Barnstone's church dates back 800 years.

But what did the old church look like? The 13th-century church probably looked very similar to the Victorian one that was built in 1856 in 13th century style.

But nobody knows.

In Edward VI's reign (1461-1483) a list (inventory) was made of the things in the chapel:

‘ffirst one challis of Silver with a cover for the same. Also one vestment of Rede Scamell. Also one crosse of bras. Also one cruet. Also ij alt clothes. Also ij towels. Also ij bells. Also j candlestick of bras that standeth of the alter. Also one surplus wt slevis.’

A medieval priest celebrating Holy Communion - a painting by James le Palmer c1360 in the British Library, London.

First one chalice of silver with a cover - for serving the Communion wine.
Also one vestment of red scamell - 'vestments' are the special clothes that priests wear for church services; red scamell is a type of cloth.
Also a brass cross - the cross that is carried to the front of the church when the priest arrives.
1 cruet - a jug for holding communion wine or water.
2 altar cloths - rather like table cloths.
2 towels - for drying the communion plate and chalice after the service.
2 bells - these might have been handbells not church bells.
1 brass candlestick that stands on the altar.
1 surplice with sleeves - a 'surplice' is a long white item of clothing worn by priests.

This small chapel had everything that was needed for church services.

Why did Thomas Dickinson Hall knock down the old church

and build a new one in 1856?

The Archbishop of York, Robert Hay Drummond painted by Joshua Reynolds in 1764

In 1764 Archbishop Drummond of York visited Langar and Barnstone. The vicar of Langar, Richard Hardy wrote a report for the Archishop:

Barnstone chapel is annexed to the church of Langar and situated about a measured mile from it. I preach there every third Sunday at least and administer the sacrament on Good Friday.

The chapel is old, and notwithstanding the people of Barnstone, or rather seven farmers of the place, are at a good deal of expense about it, the chapel is sinking and cannot stand long. It is indeed of little use; because there is no burying ground nearer than the mother church; and the people have good seats there [at Langar church], which are well filled by the inhabitants of Barnstone every Sunday.

So, over a hundred years before Thomas Hall had Barnstone church rebuilt, it was old and sinking - if it hadn't been seven local farmers, it would have fallen down long before. By 1856 the building must have been in a very poor state. So Thomas Dickinson Hall paid for a new church to be built. £1200 is over a million pounds in today's money.