The 'New' Church. Holy Trinity Church Wentworth Rotherham Yorkshire
The new church was erected by the children of Charles William, 5th Earl Fitwilliam, in memory of their parents. In addition, the 6th Earl had 15 children and needed a larger church. The architect was John Loughborough Pearson, architect of Truro Cathedral. Construction began in 1873 and the building was consecrated in 1877. The six bells were installed in the old church in 1863 and moved to its successor in 1893.
It was built on a grand scale, and its spire of almost 200 feet is visible for miles around. The vast interior can comfortably seat over 500 people, far more than the population of the village either now or at the time it was built! It has a number of interesting architectural features including some impressive stone valuting and two large stained glass windows by Kempe and Clayton and Bell . There is also a carved stone reredos depicting the Last Supper which was donated by the 6th Earl’s children to commemorate the Golden Wedding anniversary of the Earl and his wife, Lady Frances Harriet Douglas.
The earlier medieval parish church ( seen here www.flickr.com/photos/45777493@N06/4844534942 ) was originally a chapel-of-ease to Wath and is first mentioned in 1235. The church was altered in the late 15th century and in 1548 Thomas Wentworth bequeathed pillars and stone that he had bought from Monk Bretton Priory for the building of a new aisle. In 1684 the second Earl of Strafford spent £700 on rebuilding the church into a fit place to house the memorials to his father and himself. These monuments are still to be seen in the chancel together with monuments to the father and grandfather of the first earl and to other ancestors. The old church was partially dismantled after its replacement was completed. In 1925 the chancel and north chapel was restored by the 7th Earl Fitzwilliam. The top portion of the tower of the old church fell during a gale in 1962. The graves of a number of estate servants can be seen in the churchyard.
The 'New' Church. Holy Trinity Church Wentworth Rotherham Yorkshire
The new church was erected by the children of Charles William, 5th Earl Fitwilliam, in memory of their parents. In addition, the 6th Earl had 15 children and needed a larger church. The architect was John Loughborough Pearson, architect of Truro Cathedral. Construction began in 1873 and the building was consecrated in 1877. The six bells were installed in the old church in 1863 and moved to its successor in 1893.
It was built on a grand scale, and its spire of almost 200 feet is visible for miles around. The vast interior can comfortably seat over 500 people, far more than the population of the village either now or at the time it was built! It has a number of interesting architectural features including some impressive stone valuting and two large stained glass windows by Kempe and Clayton and Bell . There is also a carved stone reredos depicting the Last Supper which was donated by the 6th Earl’s children to commemorate the Golden Wedding anniversary of the Earl and his wife, Lady Frances Harriet Douglas.
The earlier medieval parish church ( seen here www.flickr.com/photos/45777493@N06/4844534942 ) was originally a chapel-of-ease to Wath and is first mentioned in 1235. The church was altered in the late 15th century and in 1548 Thomas Wentworth bequeathed pillars and stone that he had bought from Monk Bretton Priory for the building of a new aisle. In 1684 the second Earl of Strafford spent £700 on rebuilding the church into a fit place to house the memorials to his father and himself. These monuments are still to be seen in the chancel together with monuments to the father and grandfather of the first earl and to other ancestors. The old church was partially dismantled after its replacement was completed. In 1925 the chancel and north chapel was restored by the 7th Earl Fitzwilliam. The top portion of the tower of the old church fell during a gale in 1962. The graves of a number of estate servants can be seen in the churchyard.