Features

Rotherham Minister - formerly known as All Saints’ Parish Church - has dominated the space over All Saints Square in Rotherham town centre for over 500 years.

The Minster is currently shrouded in scaffolding at the moment but Martin Taylor, full-time verger of the Minster, says: "By Easter 2007 we're hoping that you'll be able to see it in all its finery again."

"The general building periods are between 1480 and 1512 and since then the fabric has been left relatively untouched", says Martin. “We see in the stonework a building as it was left by the original builders left it five centuries ago."

Snetzler Organ, built 1777, in Rotherham Minster

The Minster has a mixture of Victorian, 15th and 20th century furniture and the roof has gold leafed bosses (where the roof beams cross) date from around 1450. The oak roof is an incredible example of workmanship, with 77 bosses on the roof. "Workmen discovered only recently that no two are identical!", says Martin.

Te Deum window

The stained glass window above the chancel is known as the ‘Te Deum’ window - a wonderfully colourful portrait gallery with Christ in Glory in the centre, and his angels, archangels, patriarchs, saints and martyrs around him.

The window was given to the Church by the Earl of Effingham in 1875 at the end of the last major restoration project, headed by Victorian architect Sir Gilbert Scott.

"It's lovely to be in church in the very early morning", says Martin. "The windows catch the morning sunlight beautifully. The percentage of glass wall area is quite high in this building, with in excess of forty windows in the Minster itself”.

The organ

Peter Crowther was organist at the church in 1961. Hear the organ in action and listen to Andy's interview with Peter via the links on the right hand side of the page.

The green men

Martin explains to Andy that he has, "a particular curiosity about the hidden green men", said to be pre-Christian pagan symbols carved on the Minster’s pillars and shrouded in foliage.

They appear to be “watching the doors against evils spirits", explains Martin. "This is because when worshippers open themselves to God in prayer, the early Christians believed you become equally open to all the darkness and the bad."

"These carved figures were therefore put inside Churches to protect you at that moment when you knelt in prayer. There are two or three looking down from pillars towards the North door - known as the ‘Devil's Door’."

Brass eagle, Rotherham Minster

Rotherham Red and brass eagles

The Minster's interior stonework is known as "Rotherham red" owing to the high iron content in the sandstone which gives it a soft, warm, pinkish appearance. Many visitors comment on how warm the building feels for this reason, according to Martin.

"The dove on the pulpit is the symbol for the Holy Spirit and dates from around 1605. The lectern is the shape of an eagle because that carries the Bible; the authority of God and a fairly weighty piece of work!"

Rotherham Minster also has a very impressive font, again in a light coloured sandstone with a beautiful and intricately carved cover which can be raised using a chain and pulley system, suspended from the ceiling.

"It's a Victorian memorial to one of our former Vicars, William Newton", explains Martin. "He was here when Sir Gilbert Scott did his restoration work. He died though, after a riding accident following pneumonia, and it was placed here in his memory."

Martin has been verger of the church for nearly thirty years and he conducts frequent school and community tours, reflecting that there's a very great deal of affection in the town for the Minster.

"We regularly have coffee mornings here which attract all and sundry sheltering from the weather and of course the occasional visitors as well, so it has a sense of liveliness and life in the building!”

The current scaffolding around Rotherham Minster is in place to protect the building during its £1 million restoration and maintenance programme and work which will make it more accessible to disabled people.

"Fortunately we’ve been able to do a lot of the work without too much damage or disruption to the building itself, and the edn result is very pleasant and attractive."