Church of St Simon and St Jude, Castlethorpe
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Church of St Simon and St Jude Church is a late 12th century
parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
in
Castlethorpe Castlethorpe is a village and civil parish with a population of about 1000 in the unitary authority area of the City of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. It is about north-east of Stony Stratford, north-west of Newport Pagnell and n ...
,
City of Milton Keynes The City of Milton Keynes is a unitary authority area with both borough and city status, in Buckinghamshire. It is the northernmost district of the South East England Region. The borough abuts Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and the remainder o ...
,
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...
, England. It was formerly a
chapelry A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. Status It had a similar status to a township but was so named as it had a chapel of ease (chapel) which was the communi ...
of
Hanslope Hanslope is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority area of the City of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The village is about west northwest of Newport Pagnell, about north of Stony Stratford and north of Central Milt ...
.'Parishes : Hanslope with Castle Thorpe'
Victoria History of the Counties of England The Victoria History of the Counties of England, commonly known as the Victoria County History or the VCH, is an English history project which began in 1899 with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of En ...
, A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 4 (1927), pp. 308-311.
Of note is the
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
font with figures at the corners. It was designated a
Grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
in 1966.


History

The dedication feast is kept on the Sunday after the festival of SS. Simon and Jude; though in old wills this is called "the church of Our Lady of Castlethorpe."


Architecture and fittings

The church is built on an eminence, a little eastward of the keep, as appears from the height of the bank or mount still remaining close to the church-yard. It comprises a chancel, nave, north and south aisles, and a tower at the west end. The last appendage was originally high; but the rain having been suffered to destroy the timbers of the roof, it fell down in 1729; and being meanly rebuilt, was lowered about , and only the second of three bells, which it contained, was put up again. The large bell, weighing 4 cwt. 2 qrs. 18 lbs., which was broken, was sold together with the third, to
Fenny Stratford Fenny Stratford is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England and in the Civil Parish of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford. Originally an independent town, it was included in the Milton Keynes " designated area" in 1967. From 1895 ...
, to defray the expenses of rebuilding the tower. The roofs of the nave and aisles are covered with lead; but the roof of the chancel is modern and slated. The principal entrance is through the tower at the west end. The piers and arches of the nave are very Early English, hardly removed from
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
. Two of these arches on each side, divide the nave from the aisles; those of the south side are supported by an octagonal pillar, and those on the north rest upon a massive round pillar, with foliage mouldings. Three decorated windows of three lights, one being in the east end, light the south aisle; and two modern sash windows have been inserted in the north aisle. There are three windows on the south side of the clerestory of the nave; none on the north side. The oak pulpit is square, and apparently of the time of James i.; the seats are open, and of deal. The roofs throughout are ceiled with plaster. At the east end of the north aisle still remain the steps of the rood loft, in a good state of preservation. On the south side of the chancel is a sedile of two stalls under semi-circular arches and a piscina. The font is very large, and octagonal, having two sculptured human heads annexed to two of its western angles. The chancel arch is pointed, and the chancel itself is spacious. The east window is a good Decorated one of three lights, containing a memorial to the memory of Caroline Walpole (died 22 February 1899). Within the communion rails are three flat slabs inscribed to members of the Tyrrell family; and on the north side is a stately monument to Sir Thomas Tyrrell, who died in 1671, and Bridget, his wife. It consists of an altar-tomb of veined marble on which are two black marble pillars, with white bases and capitals, supporting a richly ornamented pediment, with frieze and cornice, surmounted by an urn, and shields of arms. On a slab of jet covering the altar-tomb, between the pillars, are the effigies, in full size, of Sir Thomas, habited as a judge, reclining on a mat and cushions, his head resting on the lap of a female, sitting in a melancholy position. This monument, which was erected by widow Dame Bridget Tyrrell, bears an inscription recording the gift to the poor of Castlethorpe of £10 per annum. There are also memorials to the Kitelee family.


References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Castlethorpe, Saints Simon and Jude Churches in Milton Keynes Grade I listed churches in Buckinghamshire 12th-century church buildings in England Church of England church buildings in Buckinghamshire