Rotherham Minster

Saxon and Norman eras In Saxon times, Rotherham seems to have been a place of some importance. It had a Saxon church, a market and a fair all before the Norman Conquest. The Domesday Book of 1086 records a church on the site, despite the future town only having a population of twelve households. This small Saxon church was replaced by a much larger Norman edifice during the 12th century, similar in plan to today's Minster. This Norman church was built using Rotherham Red sandstone and decorated using Magnesium Limestone from Conisborough. It was cruciform in plan, having a chancel, nave, transepts and a low central lantern tower. Little is known about either of these two previous churches, however, the line of the old Norman roof ridge can still be seen on the western tower arch in the present church. Gothic rebuilding During the 14th to 15th centuries, the church came under the control of the Cistercian Abbeys of Rufford (Nottinghamshire) and Clairvaux (Kingdom of Burgundy), whose monks began rebuilding the church in the Gothic style, beginning with the chancel. The chancel was rebuilt in the Decorated Gothic style in the early part of the 14th century, initially as a single storey. In 1409, the vicar received a letter from Henry Bowet, Archbishop of York, granting him permission to sell indulgences to raise funds to repair and raise the tower. This must have taken some time, as the tower vault was not completed until 1420. 17th to 19th centuries During the English Civil War, Rotherham fell to Royalist forces. John Shaw, the English puritan minister, took refuge in the tower at Rotherham Minster during an attack by Royalist forces in January 1643 when his sermon was interrupted. Bullet holes in the roof found two hundred years later suggest they tried to flush him out, but he fled to Kingston upon Hull. Major restoration of the entire building took place from 1873 to 1875, led by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Under his direction, the galleries and box pews were removed, the stonework cleaned and restored, and the roofs renovated. Evidence was found during this restoration of fires in the roofs, along with bullet holes from the English Civil War. The south transept ceiling and roof required more attention, and repairs were conducted using pine, rather than oak, as the natural resin found within it makes it resistant to insect damage. The large Great East Window was given during this restoration by the Earl and Countess of Effingham, designed by Scott. A new font was manufactured in memory of the vicar, William Newton, who died during the restoration. The original Norman font was moved to a chapel in the chancel, the pulpit was moved to the northern side of the nave and the chancel was re-ordered. Scott chose to keep and preserve the medieval misericords and choir stalls, recognising their importance. To celebrate the completion of the restoration project, a new brass eagle lectern was manufactured. A major restoration of the Minster was begun in 2001, costing nearly £2.25 million. The restoration involved covering almost the whole building in scaffolding in stages, restoring battlements, window repairs, a new chancel roof, restoration to the stone inside the building, a new kitchen to allow hot meals, a new lighting system and restoration to the clock faces. The project was completed in December 2011. == Architecture ==

Exterior Simon Jenkins describes Rotherham Minster as a "polished work of Perpendicular Gothic". Facades The Minster has four main facades; the east and west facades which include the Great East and Great West windows, and the north and south facades that run along the length of the building. The west facade has a transomed seven-light window in the centre, flanked by two four-light windows, all Perpendicular Gothic in style, and buttresses separating each window. The east facade has a similar setup to the west facade, with a seven-light central window flanked by smaller five-light windows. Interior The interior is spacious, light and airy. The main aisle of the Minster is tall and wide, lit by numerous large windows. The arcade, which makes up the majority of the height of the nave, is separated from the clerestory above it by a narrow row of carved foliage. The nave piers are lozenge in shape, with moulded arches separating the piers. The chancel is of two ages, the lower storey from the early 14th century and the upper storey and main window from the early 15th century. There are niches either side of the east window which implies before the second storey was constructed in the 15th century, statues flanked the window. The transepts are both lit by large windows, the window of the north transept being clear glass. There is an "immense" There are several intricately carved 15th century pews within the chancel, each of which has a poppy head carved on the bench end telling the story of the nativity. • Area: == Organ ==

Rotherham Minster has two organs, only one of which is operational. The older and more prominent organ dates back to 1777 and was manufactured by Johann Snetzler, funded by public subscription. The instrument as originally built was formed of three manuals with 57 keys each, no pedalboard. It was originally installed on a gallery on the chancel arch but was moved in 1843 to the north transept, with a small number of additions. The organ was substantially rebuilt and enlarged during 1890 by Abbott & Smith. The organ received further work and enlargements in 1902 after water damage, 1905 by Gray & Davison and 1950 by an unidentified company. The organ had a further rebuild in 1972 and was enlarged using pipework from the redundant Tiviot Dale Methodist Church in Stockport, completed with a new console. The Snetzler organ has been unusable since the beginning of the 2010s, as it requires a major restoration to be restored to working order, though the pipework and organ case remains visible in the north transept. The Snetzler organ was replaced in 2011 by a digital organ, a Rodgers Trillium Masterpiece, formed of three manuals. It was purchased from St Alban's Cathedral in Hertfordshire following the completion of their organ restoration programme. It was re-voiced upon arrival at Rotherham to better suit the building. == Bells ==

The earliest record of bells is to be found in the will of William Greyhern, who was the first provost of the College of Jesus in the town. He died in 1501 and left 6s 8d to the four bells of Rotherham. In 1704 the largest of these four bells either cracked or broke, and was recast at a cost of more than £50. By 1752, information in the present ringing room suggests there were six bells since a half peal was rung in 1 hour and 20 minutes. In 1812, these had either been recast or augmented to eight, the tenor weighing 24cwt. Only eight years later in 1820, the tenor cracked again, so the whole ring of eight were recast and augmented to ten for the sum of £704 by Whitechapel in 1821. The final peal on the old peal of eight bells was rung on 19 February 1821, and consisted of 5040 changes of Plain Bob Major, rung in 3h 20m. The dedication service for this new ring of bells was held on 18 March 1925. The service was said to be “impressive”, as reported in the Ringing World at the time. The new treble bell was rung up during the service and reports describe it as a “sweet, velvety note, reminding one of the pure, clear and poetic beauty of a silvery-voiced choir-boy”. During the 1924–1925 restoration, the old oak frame was removed – the donors had determined that only the very best should be done; therefore they commissioned Messrs Taylor of Loughborough to recast and rehang the bells on modern principles, and a new steel and iron frame was specifically designed to suit the tower. Massive steel girders now brace and bond the walls, forming at the same time a foundation for the future augmentation to twelve, which took place in 1986 (see below). The first peal on the new ring of ten was 5148 Grandsire Caters on 29 December 1925. The bells have had no major work to them since. They are regarded as one of the finest peals of bells in the UK and are popular with visiting bands, especially from within Yorkshire. ==See also==