Church of St Mary of the Purification, Blidworth
| St Mary's, Blidworth | |
|---|---|
| St Mary of the Purification, Blidworth | |
 With 1963 model of the earlier church in foreground | |
 | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Administration | |
| Province | York |
| Diocese | Southwell and Nottingham |
| Parish | Blidworth |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar(s) | Revd. Zoe Burton |
The Church of St Mary of the Purification is a parish church of the Church of England in Blidworth, Nottinghamshire, dating from the 15th century. It is a Grade II* listed building.[1]
Building
[edit]Only the west tower from the medieval (15th century) church survives. The rest was built in 1739 by Rhodes of Barlborough and 1839 by Colvin. It is of ashlar with a lead roof.[1] The graveyard includes a 1963 model of the earlier church.[2] The clock tower has two clocks, one facing West, the other East which would be visible to people approaching from either direction along Main Street.
Organ
[edit]The original pipe organ was dilapidated so in 2012 was replaced by a carvednave. A bespoke installation, the local parish director of music and the Rector Chori of Southwell Minster were consulted beforehand to conclude the specifications needed to achieve their desired sounds.[3]
Notable burials
[edit]The church is reputed to be the burial place of Will Scarlet. The place is not known, but a piece of the earlier church serves as a memorial.[4]
Rocking Ceremony
[edit]The Church of St Mary of the Purification is the only church that is known to continue to hold an annual Rocking Ceremony during which a baby boy, born nearest to Christmas Day and having married, Christian parents living in Blidworth, is “rocked” in a cradle on the Feast of the Purification of Mary, which is on the Sunday nearest to Candlemas.[5][6][7]
The ceremony is a symbolic enactment of the story from the Bible found in Luke's gospel, depicting the Presentation of Christ at a temple.[8] It is thought to have started in the 13th century, but was banned from 1600.[7] The custom was revived in 1842 by the vicar, John Lowndes but then fell out of use. It was revived again in 1922, and has been using the same cradle since then.[6][7][8]
All of the babies who have taken part in the Rocking Ceremonies have their names recorded upon a plaque at the rear of St Mary's Church with their full name and the year in which they were 'Rocked'.[6] In 2010 a sculpture of a cradle was made to celebrate the custom.[7]
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West clock face viewed along Main Street -
Part of the walls of the earlier church re-erected in the graveyard
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See also
[edit]Sources
[edit]- ^ a b Historic England. "CHURCH OF ST MARY OF THE PURIFICATION (1045529)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- ^ "Blidworth St Mary of the Purification". Southwell and Nottingham Church History Project. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- ^ "Blidworth organ dedication invitation". Chad, 29 August 2012, p.30. Accessed 9 February 2025
- ^ "Robin Hood and Blidworth". BBC Nottingham. BBC. 22 September 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- ^ "Baby Frankie is rocked at ancient Blidworth ceremony". Chad, 6 February 2012, p.48. Accessed 12 February 2025
- ^ a b c "Ancient Rocking Ceremony kept alive at Blidworth church". BBC Nottingham. BBC. 3 February 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- ^ a b c d Williams, Victoria (2016). Celebrating Life Customs around the World: From Baby Showers to Funerals, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 51–2. ISBN 9781440836596.
- ^ a b Baby Jack becomes the 91st Rocking baby Chad (Mansfield local newspaper), 27 February 2013, p.54 Accessed 31 July 2018
- Pevsner, Nikolaus (1979). Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England). Harmondsworth, Middx. Penguin. ISBN 978-0300096361.
53°05′39″N 01°07′36″W / 53.09417°N 1.12667°W
External links
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