St. Bartholomew's church - Hognaston, Derbyshire
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SMacB
N 53° 03.119 W 001° 39.050
30U E 590431 N 5878904
Anglican church of St Bartholomew, Hognaston.
Waymark Code: WM11RP0
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/11/2019
Views: 1
"St Bartholomew's Church in the centre of the village dates back to the 12th century, the doorway and the middle section dates back to Norman times, shown by the stone carving over the door. This shows a bishop with crook, a lamb with cross, two fishes, a hog and other beasts. It is thought to represent the Agnus Dei. The church is home to Derbyshire's oldest church bell (early 13th century)."
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"The very heart of the village through the Middle Ages was the church. The villagers used it for baptisms, marriages, burials and worship. The sanctuary, or chancel, was the responsibility of whoever held the advowson, that is, the right to represent the priest. The nave and the tower, however, were the responsibility of the parishioners. They used it for their court meetings, to store their ploughs and grain, and their treasures and documents were kept in the village chest. In times of trouble the bell would be sounded and the people would hurry with their livestock to the church for protection. As a last resort they could climb the tower and pull up the ladder after them. The five foot thick walls and narrow slits were their equivalent of the castle keep. Until the Reformation, the church and its precincts were sanctuary. The cross, marking this, has since disappeared. In the lawless and anarchic times ‘ of the Middle Ages, the right of sanctuary was a blessing for anyone .fleeing oppression or injustice. They could stay in the church for forty days, the priest being responsible for the welfare. They were then tried by the village or manor court.. If guilty, they had to go to the nearest port, keeping to the highway, dressed in their shirt alone."
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