St Denis Church, East Hatley Explained

St Denis' Church, East Hatley
Type:Local Nature Reserve
Grid Ref Uk:TL 285 505
Location:East Hatley, Cambridgeshire, England
Area:200 square metres
Manager:Friends of Friendless Churches
Map:England
Relief:1
Embedded:
Wikidata:yes
Zoom:16
Marker:religious-christian

St Denis' Church, East Hatley is a deconsecrated church in East Hatley in Cambridgeshire, England. It is a listed building, Grade 2*,[1] and the building and its churchyard (which is still consecrated) are a 200 square metre Local Nature Reserve.[2] [3] [4] It is owned and managed by the Friends of Friendless Churches.[5]

History

The church dates to the early thirteenth century and was restored by William Butterfield in 1874. It was last used for worship in 1959, and in 1985 it was deconsecrated and transferred to South Cambridgeshire District Council. By 2003 its condition had severely deteriorated, and as it is a listed building the council agreed to pay for its restoration.[5] On 30 November 2016 ownership was transferred to the Friends of Friendless Churches.[4]

The churchyard is mainly neutral grassland, but some is calcareous, and its grasses and flowers are diverse.[2] Flowers include hoary plantain, rough hawkbit and oxlip.[6]

Access is via a footpath from the road called East Hatley in the village of East Hatley.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Church of St Denis. List entry Number: 1128153 . Historic England. 14 December 2016.
  2. Web site: St Denis Church (footprint of church only) . Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 21 February 2013. 14 December 2016.
  3. Web site: Map of St Denis Church (footprint of church only). Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 14 December 2016.
  4. Web site: Peter. Mann. The Church of St Denis, East Hatley. 2015. 14 December 2016.
  5. Web site: St Denis, East Hatley – Friends of Friendless Churches finally acquires the building. Hatley Parish Council. 14 December 2016.
  6. Web site: The Wildlife Importance of St. Denis' Churchyard CWS. Cambridgeshire County Council. 14 December 2016. 20 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220193913/http://www.hatley.info/docs/St-Denis-churchyard-County-Wildlife-Site.pdf. dead.