I went back to Croxby today. It will be my last visit for the foreseeable future as the new vicar will be in post by this time next month.
Croxby is a very odd little church but it has real charm. It's been there for the best part of a thousand years and, indeed, the Norman font is still in use.
However, I wonder if those Mediaeval worshippers would still recognise their parish church today. Back in the day the church was very large and had three aisles instead of the single aisle seen today. Arches had to be filled in when the north and south aisles were demolished after the Black Death (1348-1349). Doubtless windows were created but the one inserted in this arch was inserted in the Victorian era.
This one dates maybe from the Tudor period.
The whole building is a hotch-potch of styles which no architect or planning authority would choose but it has sprung from the abilities of local craftsmen in response to local needs.
Revd Chris becomes Rector of this and eight other parishes next month and doubtless he will use his particular gifts and abilities to bring something new in response to the needs of the Group today. May he and his parishioners know every blessing as he serves in this lovely corner of Lincolnshire.
How does a vicar cover 8 parishes? Does he travel from church to church each week?
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting building - and how amazing that some of it dates back to Medieval times!
It's very common here to be rector/vicar of quite a lot of parishes. I was rector of five parishes and that was a small group! Every village has its own church and few villagers want their church to close so they have just one service a month and travel to nearby villages on the other Sundays to support their monthly services in turn. Two of my villages had populations of less than 100 people - no way could they have have a vicar just for the one village. I used to do three services each Sunday across my group. In retirement I do just one each Sunday and it's lovely!
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely building that we have passed many times but never gone in. Wishing the Rector a warm welcome to a beautiful part of the World.
ReplyDeleteI'd been past it many times but had never seen it as it is so well hidden. I nearly didn't get there the first time I was booked - which would have been very embarrassing!
ReplyDeletewondering why aisles of the church were demolished with Black Plague? I had to go back and reread other post about this church to see what it looked like outside. did you have more worshippers tis Sunday?
ReplyDeleteThe population of this country was halved by the first wave of Black Death and then by a further 20% in the second wave just twelve years later. Churches were regarded as functional buildings and if they fell into disrepair they would be repaired only as necessary and if side aisles were no longer needed they would go. It would not be a planning decision but a response to need.
DeleteThis Sunday the congregation was seven. The church seats approximately thirty.