St Mark's Church Bilton

St Marks Church, Bilton

HISTORY

There has been a church in the village of Bilton since before the Norman Conquest but the current building, made of local pink sandstone, is believed to have been constructed in the mid-fourteenth century. It would originally have consisted of Tower, Nave and Chancel and is a fine example of Decorated Gothic architecture.
Until at least 1562 the church was always referred to as St. George's Bilton, but from 1656 onwards it has been continuously known as St. Mark's and the reason for this change of dedication is unknown.
The Tower is the only one in the Coventry diocese to contain three pre-Reformation bells - No. 3 dates from c.1450 and Nos. 4 and 5 from c.1460. The remaining three were added at various times, the most recent being the Treble which dates from 1948. This bell is dedicated to the men of Bilton who gave their lives in the Services during the Second World War.

There have been numerous changes to the church since 1350, the main ones being:

Mid sixteenth century	At the Reformation the statues would have been removed from the outside of the Tower. The empty niches remain to this day. The Rood Screen was removed from the chancel arch leaving empty sockets still visible.
1609	Alterations to East wall of Chancel and East Window. The first Spire may have been added to the Tower.
1795	West Gallery erected.
1821	A South Porch added, East Window altered.
1871-2	General Restoration. North Aisle added, East Window altered to its present shape, West Gallery removed, Vestry built, roof repaired, present Organ installed.
1895	One Pinnacle blown off the Tower and crashed through the roof of the Nave in a Great Storm. The other three were subsequently removed for safety.
1962-3	South Aisle added. As with the North Aisle the medieval side wall was taken down and the stones reused as much as possible for the creation of a new wall some fifteen feet further out.
1984	Glass Screen added in Tower Arch and new ringing room.
1996	Doorway cut through between Vestry and East end of North Aisle.
1998	Roof over Nave and North Aisle reslated, wooden block floor laid in Nave.
2008	1662 Tenor Bell recast by Taylors Eayre and Smith Ltd of Loughborough. All six bells rehung.

A detailed Historical Guide Booklet is available in Church or can be ordered directly from the
Parish Office at Ł1 each plus postage.

This page was updated on 1st July 2008