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Sites Anne T has logged on trip number: 17 (View all trips)
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St Peter's Minster (Conisbrough)
Trip No.17 Entry No.1 Date Added: 18th Apr 2017
Site Type: Sculptured Stone
Country: England (Yorkshire (South))
Visited: Yes on 15th Apr 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5
St Peter's Minster (Conisbrough) submitted by Sunny100 on 15th Aug 2010. Detailed illustration of the two early Medieval grave-slabs that are both richly carved with an assortment of mythical characters, beasts and symbols. These stone slabs are said to be the finest example of their kind in England.
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Log Text: Anglo Saxon Carvings, Conisbrough: Having seen this on the Portal, with only a sepia image of the stones, I had been keen to visit this church for some time as it was only a short detour from my step-father's house; the nearby castle had been my very first ever school trip, over half a century ago (gulp). We managed to park in the (small) free car park outside the community centre, right next to the church.
We arrived just as the children’s Easter Egg hunt/service had ended, and children and parents streamed out of the church. With 2 year old grand-daughter in tow, desperate to join in, one lady coming out of the church saw us waiting and asked if we were visiting. When I said we were, she said we were very welcome, waited until the crowds had lessened, then took us in. Another gentleman took us round to see the grave stones and made sure we had the free history leaflet of the church. Grand-daughter and husband made a great game of finding all the Mouseman mice on the pews.
The church, whilst it looks Victorian from the outside, clearly has some very old parts, evident in the blocked up windows in the arches in the nave, and the tower. The church guide tell us that this is the "oldest building in South Yorkshire and is one of the ten oldest churches in England, with parts dating back to at least 750AD." The church warden was telling us that the church came many years before the castle, and so is sited on the highest part of the town; the castle therefore had to take the second highest spot.
As well as the grave stones, there is the very worn shaft of a cross outside, which the church guide leaflet says dates from the very earliest times of this church, around 750 AD. Lovely welcome and well worth the detour. Carried on to look at the castle before heading off into Doncaster.