St. Michael's Church, Sutton Bonington
Encyclopedia
St. Michael's Church is a parish church
in the Church of England
in Sutton Bonington
, Nottinghamshire
.
The church is a 13th century Grade II Listed building.
churches, a result of the merging of the two original villages (Sutton and Bonington); they are St. Michael's Church (Bonington's church) and St Anne's Church
(Sutton's church, located down St Anne's Lane). St Michael's is the larger (and much taller) of the two churches.
The two ancient ecclesiastical parishes of Sutton and Bonington were united for civil purposes
in 1829 and combined in 1923 into one ecclesiastical parish (with one rector appointed from 1950). St. Michael's Rectory
, situated on the other side of the Midland Main Line
, is now used by the University of Nottingham
, who have a large campus just north of the village, to house postgraduate students. Related to the situation of the two original parishes, Sutton and Bonington are separate manors
, named after their churches — St. Anne and St. Michael respectively.
(for both churches in Sutton Bonington) is Glenn Martin, who is also the priest in charge of the neighbouring parish of Normanton on Soar
(with its Grade I Church of St. James
).
. Originally the peal consisted of just 3 bells, cast by Henry Oldfield’s foundry in Nottingham, two of which remain and the oldest dates back to 1579. Two more bells were added in 1879 and a sixth bell in 1977, to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
. The weights of the bells range from 4cwts 86 lbs (treble
) to 17cwts 97 lbs (tenor
). The installation has recently been restored by John Taylor & Co, a large bell foundry in nearby Loughborough
who cast a number of the bells. The bells are rung
for Sunday morning services and at fortnightly practice sessions.
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....
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 Sutton Bonington
Sutton Bonington
Sutton Bonington is a village and civil parish lying along the valley of the River Soar in the Borough of Rushcliffe, south west Nottinghamshire, England. The University of Nottingham has a site just to the north of the village: Sutton Bonington Campus....
, 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...
.
The church is a 13th century Grade II Listed building.
History
Sutton Bonington has two medievalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
churches, a result of the merging of the two original villages (Sutton and Bonington); they are St. Michael's Church (Bonington's church) and St Anne's Church
St. Anne's Church, Sutton Bonington
St. Anne's Church is a parish church in the Church of England in Sutton Bonington, Nottinghamshire.The church is a 12th century Grade II* Listed building....
(Sutton's church, located down St Anne's Lane). St Michael's is the larger (and much taller) of the two churches.
The two ancient ecclesiastical parishes of Sutton and Bonington were united for civil purposes
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in 1829 and combined in 1923 into one ecclesiastical parish (with one rector appointed from 1950). St. Michael's Rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
, situated on the other side of the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
, is now used by the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
, who have a large campus just north of the village, to house postgraduate students. Related to the situation of the two original parishes, Sutton and Bonington are separate manors
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
, named after their churches — St. Anne and St. Michael respectively.
Present day
Regular services continue to be held in both churches. The current priest in chargePriest in charge
A priest in charge or priest-in-charge is a priest in charge of a parish who does not receive the temporalities of the parish. He or she is not legally responsible for the churches and glebe, simply holds a licence rather than freehold and is not appointed by advowson.The appointment of priests in...
(for both churches in Sutton Bonington) is Glenn Martin, who is also the priest in charge of the neighbouring parish of Normanton on Soar
Normanton on Soar
Normanton on Soar is a village and civil parish in the south of Nottinghamshire in England near the River Soar.Nearby villages include Zouch, Sutton Bonington and Stanford on Soar....
(with its Grade I Church of St. James
St. James, Normanton
The Church of St. James is a church in Normanton, Nottinghamshire.The church is a 12th century Grade I Listed building...
).
Bells
The tall church tower has a peal of six bellsChurch bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
. Originally the peal consisted of just 3 bells, cast by Henry Oldfield’s foundry in Nottingham, two of which remain and the oldest dates back to 1579. Two more bells were added in 1879 and a sixth bell in 1977, to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth realms...
. The weights of the bells range from 4cwts 86 lbs (treble
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
) to 17cwts 97 lbs (tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
). The installation has recently been restored by John Taylor & Co, a large bell foundry in nearby Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
who cast a number of the bells. The bells are rung
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
for Sunday morning services and at fortnightly practice sessions.
External links
- Notes and Jottings about Sutton Bonington. By Rev. W E Buckland. (Rector of St. Anne's).
- Sutton Bonington St. Michael's and St. Anne's Churches
- Images of England Photo and Listed building description
- Flickr Photos of the church
- Photos of the church (from Geograph)
- Panorama taken from St. Michael's Church tower, showing almost all the old Bonington village
