St Nicholas' Church, Kenilworth
Encyclopedia
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
town of Kenilworth
Kenilworth
Kenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the town had a population of 22,582 . It is situated south of Coventry, north of Warwick and northwest of London....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and is a fine example of an English parish church in Perpendicular
Perpendicular
In geometry, two lines or planes are considered perpendicular to each other if they form congruent adjacent angles . The term may be used as a noun or adjective...
style with Tudor
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
alterations, in the handsome red sandstone of the region. It sits right beside the Norman and medieval ruins of St Mary's Abbey
St Mary's Abbey, Kenilworth
The remains of St Mary's Abbey, of Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England are situated in the grounds of St Nicholas' Church and in an adjacent area of Abbey Fields. Some of its ruins are above ground and some are below ground.-History:...
, over which a large part of its graveyard now lies.
History
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
to his chamberlain and treasurer Geoffrey de Clinton
Geoffrey de Clinton
Geoffrey de Clinton was an Anglo-Norman noble, chamberlain and treasurer to King Henry I of England. He was foremost amongst the men king Henry "raised from the dust". He married Lescelina.-Life:Clinton's family origins are a little obscure...
. By around 1119 this swathe had been cleared of woodland under de Clinton's order so that an Augustinian priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
housing 16-20 canons could be built, dedicated to Mary the Virgin and meant for the saying of masses for its founder's eternal soul. At around the same time, and a short walk to the west at the neck of the shallow valley of Finham Brook, de Clinton built Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is located in the town of the same name in Warwickshire, England. Constructed from Norman through to Tudor times, the castle has been described by architectural historian Anthony Emery as "the finest surviving example of a semi-royal palace of the later middle ages, significant...
. The twin foundations were to be closely linked throughout their history: the priory (which had been raised to abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
status in 1458) was dissolved in 1538 and survives today as just a few sections of ruined masonry close by St Nicholas' Church. It was unusual for an Augustinian priory in that it came under royal patronage by the early thirteenth century, with the result that many of England's medieval monarchs were to visit it during its heyday (see below).
It is conjectured that there was a 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...
parish church on the site during the twelfth century, and there is reference to a parson in the 1285 Registers of Godfrey Giffard
Godfrey Giffard
Godfrey Giffard was Chancellor of the Exchequer of England, Lord Chancellor of England and Bishop of Worcester.-Early life:Giffard was the son of Hugh Giffard of Boyton in Wiltshire, a royal justice, and of his wife Sibyl, daughter and co-heiress of Walter de Cormeilles...
, the Bishop of Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
. The earliest reference to a parish church on the site, though, as distinct from the church of St Mary's priory, is from Pope Nicholas' taxation records of 1291. The substantial tower and the north and south 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 were added in the fourteenth century. The original nave roof, lowered in 1580, was at a higher pitch than that which can be seen today; the line of the earlier roof can still be seen as a scar on the eastern face of the tower. 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...
roof was taken down and relaid in 1692 under the auspices of the then vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
, William Best, at a cost of £80. Raised galleries were erected in both of the nave aisles in the middle of the eighteenth century to accommodate the large congregations of the time.
As with so many English parish churches, the reign of Queen Victoria saw many changes: in 1865, under Reverend Bickmore, St Nicholas' was thoroughly restored
Victorian 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...
. The nave galleries (along with the contemporary singers' gallery at the west end of the nave) were taken down in 1876, the same year that the roof timbers were exposed by the removal of the church's flat ceilings. It was also in the nineteenth century that the north and south transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s were built, the clergy vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
was added, and the south wall of the chancel was pierced to create a chancel aisle (refurnished in 1932 as the Lady Chapel
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
). The sandstone spire was entirely rebuilt after a lightning strike in 1858.
Four bell
Church 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...
s were mentioned in the parish inventory of 1552, but these were melted down in 1657 when cracks were discovered. They were recast as a set of five, weighing between 6cwt 16lb and 15cwt 13lb.
Architectural Interest
Following Henry VIIIHenry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
's Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, the neighbouring priory church of St Mary was by 1547 all but a ruin. At some point in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, twelfth-century Norman masonry from the priory church was incorporated into the west door of St Nicholas' in what is now an important example of Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
composition. Only in 1876 did this impressive Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
gateway become the regular entrance to the church - up until that time worshippers had used the doorways in the northwest corner of the north aisle, with the west door reserved for important persons such as visiting monarchs.
In 1888, a 'pig' of lead in the shape of a ship was unearthed nearby in the ruins of the abbey. During the Dissolution, when the lead from the abbey roof was being stripped away, it seems that this valuable piece of royal property was hidden from the king's superintendents but subsequently forgotten. It now sits in the chancel beside the altar rail, where Henry VIII's
seal can be seen.
Famous Visitors
As we saw above, royal ownership of Kenilworth Castle and royal patronage of St Mary's priory (later abbey) brought a number of England's monarchs to the town. As patrons, their financial benefaction allowed them to add their names to the list of founders for whose eternal souls masses would be said by the canons. Some monarchs are known to have stayed for longer periods in lodgings in St Mary's, which was considerably more comfortable than the fortified castle.In 1266, during the siege of Kenilworth Castle, King Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
was in Kenilworth for almost five months. It is highly likely that he lodged in the comfort of his royal priory. In 1327, King Edward II was imprisoned in Kenilworth Castle before being removed to Berkeley Castle where he was killed. His son Edward III was, like his father, a frequent visitor to the priory.
Prince Henry was only 16 years old when he was hit in the face by an arrow at the Battle of Shrewsbury
Battle of Shrewsbury
The Battle of Shrewsbury was a battle fought on 21 July 1403, waged between an army led by the Lancastrian King, Henry IV, and a rebel army led by Henry "Hotspur" Percy from Northumberland....
of 1403. He was brought for treatment to Kenilworth Castle, where an arrowhead embedded in the back of his skull was removed and where herbs from the priory physic garden were used in his recovery. In 1414 Henry, by then King Henry V, kept Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
at Kenilworth and likely visited the priory. King Henry VI spent Christmas of 1437 at the castle, escaped Jack Cade
Jack Cade
Jack Cade was the leader of a popular revolt in the 1450 Kent rebellion during the reign of King Henry VI in England. He died on the 12th July 1450 near Lewes. In response to grievances, Cade led an army of as many as 5,000 against London, causing the King to flee to Warwickshire. After taking and...
's rebellion there with his queen, Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou
Margaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471; and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453...
, and the royal couple again visited in 1457. King Richard III visited in 1483, and King Henry VII heard mass at the abbey in 1487 while spending Whitsun
Whitsun
Whitsun is the name used in the UK for the Christian festival of Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples...
at the castle.
King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
stayed in the lodgings named after him at the castle, but the best-documented and most famous visitor to Kenilworth was undoubtedly Queen Elizabeth I, who came to the town in 1566, 1568 and 1572, and who attended divine communion at St Nicholas' Church three times in 1575 during an extended stay at the castle. The church still owns and uses a silver chalice from which Elizabeth was given communion on these occasions.
King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
visited Kenilworth in 1617, and there are records in the parish archives of the great west doorway of St Nicholas' being unsealed for his ceremonial entry. Finally, to round off this impressive list of royal visitors, King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
came twice to Kenilworth, first in 1642 and again in 1644.
One other possible visitor to the castle, priory and church is Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...
who, while in the service of John of Gaunt in 1392, sent twenty stonemasons to rebuild the castle's great hall.
List of Incumbents
- Richard Awre 1999
- David John Rake 1986
- Frank Spencer Bull 1966
- John Alexander Thomson 1955
- Owen Ambrose Griffiths 1945
- Christopher Milner 1942 father of Major Christopher MilnerBattle of Villers-BocageThe Battle of Villers-Bocage took place during the Second World War on 13 June 1944, one week after the Allies landed in Normandy to begin the liberation of German-occupied France. The battle was the result of a British attempt to improve their position by exploiting a temporary vulnerability in...
MCMilitary CrossThe Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.... - Charles Henry Selfe Matthews 1938
- Edward Stephen Gladstone Wickham 1931
- Joseph William Dennis 1917
- James Cairns 1911
- Roland Forster Hanning 1897
- William Bissett 1891
- Alfred Jonathan Binnie 1884
- Thomas Edmond Pennefather 1875
- William Frederick Bickmore 1855
- Edward Revell Eardley-Wilmot 1845
- Thomas Parry 1841
- Montague Villiers 1837
- Samuel Butler 1802
- Robert Sumner 1773
- Thomas Lucas 1740
- William Best 1690
- James Dingley 1689
- Robert Edmonds 1684
- Eustace Craddock 1679
- Henry Price 1678
- James Chapman 1663
- William Maddock (ejected from living 1662) 1661
- Anthony Woodhill 1648
- William Morris 1646
- Edward Barton 1643
- John Bust 1611
- Richard A P Damerllord 1552
- Thomas Bird 1545
- John Pultney 1524
- Thomas Westbury (alias Barber) 1504
- John Wright 1500
- Thomas Rawlinson 1498
- Hugh Chesnal 1481
- John Arnold 1478
- William Umfrey 1476
- Richard Harris 1474
- John Meverell 1471
- John Baker 1467
- John Brampton 1465
- John Audley 1457
- Richard Braunston 1454
- William Chapman 1447
- John Smith 1441
- Richard Lyne 1437
- Robert Loughborough 1436
- William Porter 1411
- Richard at the Birches 1373
- William of Cowley 1361
- John King 1353
- Roger of Birmingham 1351
- Ralph Rugby 1349
- John of Calwich 1349
- William of Preston 1349
- Henry of Ansty 1346
- Thomas of Wakefield 1341
- John of Hanslope 1323
- William of Stoneleigh 1316
- Geoffrey Marmion 1312
- Roger Boyvill 1312
- Henry of Ladbroke 1300