Church of Saint Oswald
Encyclopedia
St Oswald's Church, Malpas stands on the highest point in the market town
of Malpas
, Cheshire
, England, on or near the site of a Norman
motte and bailey castle. The church has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building and is recognised as being one of the best examples in Cheshire of a late 15th to early 16th-century church. It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the diocese of Chester
, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Malpas. Its benefice
is combined with that of St John, Threapwood
. Alec Clifton-Taylor
includes it in his list of 'best' English parish church
es.
. The present church was built in the second half of the 14th century on the site of an earlier church, although there are no structural remains of that church. It was largely rebuilt above the cill level with the addition of a clerestory
in the late 15th century. In about 1886 the [Chester] architect John Douglas
carried out a restoration
, which included removal of the box pew
s and plaster from its interior.
with lead roofs. The tower dates from the 14th century and is just over 70 feet (21 m) high with diagonal west buttress
es, angled east buttresses, and a southeast octagonal turret
. The nave
and chancel
are crenellated. At the south-west corner is a porch which leads into a six-bay
nave with north and south aisle
s. At the eastern end of each aisle is a chantry
chapel, the north chapel originally belonging to the Cholmondeley family and the south chapel to the Brereton family. To the east of the nave is the three-bay chancel, and in the north-east corner is a vestry
dating from 1717. Above the south porch is a parvise
and above the doorway is a wall sundial
with niches
on either side. The porch is embattled, with pinnacle
s and gargoyle
s.
is from the 15th century and it has an oak cover made in 1627. The pews date from the 1880s but some of the original box pews from the Brereton chapel are now at the back of the south aisle. The nave ceiling is constructed with camber beam
s and it has bosses
and carved angels. Above the chancel arch is a painting of St Peter's Denial of Christ by Hayman together with three pairs of hatchment
s belonging to the Dod family of Edge Hall, the Tarleton family formerly of Bolesworth and the Cholmondeley family of Cholmondeley Castle
. Within each chantry chapel is a tomb. In the Brereton chapel the tomb is that of Sir Randal Brereton and his wife, and is dated 1522. The monument in the Cholmondeley chapel was erected in 1605 and represents Sir Hugh Cholmondeley
and his second wife, Mary. Also in this chapel is a memorial to Lady Cholmondeley who died in 1815 by Westmacott
. In the chancel is a memorial tablet to Charles Wolley Dod who died in 1904 by Edward Hilton. In the nave is a slab to Urian Davenport, rector of Malpas, who died in 1495. In the south aisle are tablets to John Stockton who died in 1700, and Bridget Kynaston who died in 1644. In the north aisle is a memorial to Lt. Col. Henry Tarleton who died in 1820 by Edwards and Company of Wrexham.
On the south side of the chancel is a triple sedilia
and a piscina
. The altarpiece
was presented by a Mr Drake in 1721. Against the south wall of the chancel are three 15th-century stalls with misericord
s. The stained glass includes a panel in the north chapel dating from around 1500 depicting the Presentation in the Temple
. Also present are several Continental panels and medallions dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. The east window of 1841 and the east windows in the aisles dating from about 1845 are by William Warrington
. In the north aisle is a window from about 1928 that has been attributed to Ballantyne. In the south aisle is a window dated 1902 by Kempe
. The east window is a memorial to Bishop Heber
who was born in the town. From the sanctuary a staircase leads down to a vaulted
crypt
below the altar which was formerly a treasury
. The two-manual
organ was built in 1897 by Lewis and Company, overhauled around 1962 by Rushworth and Dreaper
and restored at a later date by Peter Collins
. The parish register
s date from 1561 and the churchwarden
s' accounts from 1653. The ring
consists of eight bells. Four of these were cast by John Rudhall
in 1802, and the other four were by John Taylor and Company, two of these being dated 1908 and the other two in 1914.
wall are listed Grade II. Within the churchyard are a number of other items listed Grade II, namely, a table tomb dedicated to members of the Duncall family, the tomb of John Bassett, a headstone to the Hobley family, and a sandstone sundial
pedestal
dating probably from the early 18th century. Listed Grade II* are the gate piers and steps at the southwest corner of the churchyard, and the gates, gate piers and steps at south-east corner of churchyard. They were originally made for Oulton Park
in the 1720s at the time of John Vanbrugh
's work there. They were moved to Malpas churchyard around 1773. The gate piers and steps to the west gateway to the churchyard are listed Grade II, as are the gate piers and steps to a small gateway at the southeast corner of the churchyard.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Malpas
Malpas, Cheshire
Malpas is a large village which used to be a market town, and it is also a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The parish lies on the border with Shropshire and Wales...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England, on or near the site of a Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
motte and bailey castle. The church has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building and is recognised as being one of the best examples in Cheshire of a late 15th to early 16th-century church. It is an active Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the diocese of Chester
Diocese of Chester
The Diocese of Chester is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York based in Chester, covering the county of Cheshire in its pre-1974 boundaries...
, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Malpas. Its benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
is combined with that of St John, Threapwood
St John's Church, Threapwood
St John's Church, Threapwood, is in the village of Threapwood, Cheshire, England. The authors of the Buildings of England series state that it is entirely Georgian in style. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Malpas. ...
. Alec Clifton-Taylor
Alec Clifton-Taylor
Alec Clifton-Taylor OBE was an English architectural historian, writer and TV broadcaster.-Biography and works:...
includes it in his list of 'best' English parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
es.
History
The church is dedicated to Saint OswaldOswald of Northumbria
Oswald was King of Northumbria from 634 until his death, and is now venerated as a Christian saint.Oswald was the son of Æthelfrith of Bernicia and came to rule after spending a period in exile; after defeating the British ruler Cadwallon ap Cadfan, Oswald brought the two Northumbrian kingdoms of...
. The present church was built in the second half of the 14th century on the site of an earlier church, although there are no structural remains of that church. It was largely rebuilt above the cill level with the addition of a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
in the late 15th century. In about 1886 the [Chester] architect John Douglas
John Douglas (architect)
John Douglas was an English architect who designed about 500 buildings in Cheshire, North Wales, and northwest England, in particular in the estate of Eaton Hall. He was trained in Lancaster and practised throughout his career from an office in Chester, Cheshire...
carried out a restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
, which included removal of the box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s and plaster from its interior.
Exterior
It is built in red sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
with lead roofs. The tower dates from the 14th century and is just over 70 feet (21 m) high with diagonal west buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es, angled east buttresses, and a southeast octagonal turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
. The nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
are crenellated. At the south-west corner is a porch which leads into a six-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
nave with north and south aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s. At the eastern end of each aisle is a chantry
Chantry
Chantry is the English term for a fund established to pay for a priest to celebrate sung Masses for a specified purpose, generally for the soul of the deceased donor. Chantries were endowed with lands given by donors, the income from which maintained the chantry priest...
chapel, the north chapel originally belonging to the Cholmondeley family and the south chapel to the Brereton family. To the east of the nave is the three-bay chancel, and in the north-east corner is a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
dating from 1717. Above the south porch is a parvise
Parvise
Parvise or parvis may refer to:#A room over the porch of a church — quite often found in Norman churches in England. In some churches these rooms were used for school rooms and in Castle Ashby was the home of a woman - who saved the manor house from burning when she saw the fire taking hold from...
and above the doorway is a wall sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
with niches
Niche (architecture)
A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
on either side. The porch is embattled, with pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s and gargoyle
Gargoyle
In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between...
s.
Interior
Within the nave is an oak chest dating from the second half of the 13th century. The octagonal fontBaptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is from the 15th century and it has an oak cover made in 1627. The pews date from the 1880s but some of the original box pews from the Brereton chapel are now at the back of the south aisle. The nave ceiling is constructed with camber beam
Camber beam
In building, a camber beam is a piece of timber cut archwise, or with an obtuse angle in the middle, commonly used in platforms, as church leads, and other occasions where long and strong beams are required....
s and it has bosses
Boss (architecture)
In architecture, a boss is a knob or protrusion of stone or wood.Bosses can often be found in the ceilings of buildings, particularly at the intersection of a vault. In Gothic architecture, such roof bosses are often intricately carved with foliage, heraldic devices or other decorations...
and carved angels. Above the chancel arch is a painting of St Peter's Denial of Christ by Hayman together with three pairs of hatchment
Hatchment
A hatchment is a funeral demonstration of the lifetime "achievement" of the arms and any other honours displayed on a black lozenge-shaped frame which used to be suspended against the wall of a deceased person's house...
s belonging to the Dod family of Edge Hall, the Tarleton family formerly of Bolesworth and the Cholmondeley family of Cholmondeley Castle
Cholmondeley Castle
Cholmondeley Castle is a country house in the civil parish of Cholmondeley, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building. It is surrounded by a estate.-House:...
. Within each chantry chapel is a tomb. In the Brereton chapel the tomb is that of Sir Randal Brereton and his wife, and is dated 1522. The monument in the Cholmondeley chapel was erected in 1605 and represents Sir Hugh Cholmondeley
Hugh Cholmondeley
Hugh Cholmondeley may refer to:* Hugh Cholmondeley * Hugh Cholmondeley, 1st Earl of Cholmondeley* Hugh Cholmondeley, 2nd Baron Delamere* Hugh Cholmondeley, 3rd Baron Delamere* Hugh Cholmondeley Dean of Chester 1806-1815...
and his second wife, Mary. Also in this chapel is a memorial to Lady Cholmondeley who died in 1815 by Westmacott
Richard Westmacott
Sir Richard Westmacott, Jr., RA was a British sculptor.-Life and career:He studied under his father, Richard Westmacott the Elder, before going to Rome in 1793 to study under Antonio Canova...
. In the chancel is a memorial tablet to Charles Wolley Dod who died in 1904 by Edward Hilton. In the nave is a slab to Urian Davenport, rector of Malpas, who died in 1495. In the south aisle are tablets to John Stockton who died in 1700, and Bridget Kynaston who died in 1644. In the north aisle is a memorial to Lt. Col. Henry Tarleton who died in 1820 by Edwards and Company of Wrexham.
On the south side of the chancel is a triple sedilia
Sedilia
Sedilia , in ecclesiastical architecture, is the term used to describe stone seats, usually to be found on the south side of an altar, often in the chancel, for the use of the officiating priests...
and a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
. The altarpiece
Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
was presented by a Mr Drake in 1721. Against the south wall of the chancel are three 15th-century stalls with misericord
Misericord
A misericord is a small wooden shelf on the underside of a folding seat in a church, installed to provide a degree of comfort for a person who has to stand during long periods of prayer.-Origins:...
s. The stained glass includes a panel in the north chapel dating from around 1500 depicting the Presentation in the Temple
Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, which falls on 2 February, celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus. In the Eastern Orthodox Church and some Eastern Catholic Churches, it is one of the twelve Great Feasts, and is sometimes called Hypapante...
. Also present are several Continental panels and medallions dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. The east window of 1841 and the east windows in the aisles dating from about 1845 are by William Warrington
William Warrington
William Warrington, , was an English maker of stained glass windows. His firm, operating from 1832 to 1875, was one of the earliest of the English Medieval revival and served clients such as Norwich and Peterborough Cathedrals...
. In the north aisle is a window from about 1928 that has been attributed to Ballantyne. In the south aisle is a window dated 1902 by Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe was a well-known Victorian stained glass designer. After attending Twyford School, he studied for the priesthood at Pembroke College, Oxford, but it became clear that his severe stammer would be an impediment to preaching...
. The east window is a memorial to Bishop Heber
Reginald Heber
Reginald Heber was the Church of England's Bishop of Calcutta who is now remembered chiefly as a hymn-writer.-Life:Heber was born at Malpas in Cheshire...
who was born in the town. From the sanctuary a staircase leads down to a vaulted
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
below the altar which was formerly a treasury
Treasury
A treasury is either*A government department related to finance and taxation.*A place where currency or precious items is/are kept....
. The two-manual
Manual (music)
A manual is a keyboard designed to be played with the hands on a pipe organ, harpsichord, clavichord, electronic organ, or synthesizer. The term "manual" is used with regard to any hand keyboard on these instruments to distinguish it from the pedalboard, which is a keyboard that the organist plays...
organ was built in 1897 by Lewis and Company, overhauled around 1962 by Rushworth and Dreaper
Rushworth and Dreaper
Rushworth and Dreaper was a firm of organ builders based in Liverpool, England Upon its bankruptcy, its archives were mostly destroyed, and the Victorian clock in the works tower was removed...
and restored at a later date by Peter Collins
Peter Collins (organ builder)
Peter Collins is an English pipe organ builder based in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. He specialises in tracker action organs typically with clean, modernist light wood casework and well-balanced classical voicing...
. The parish register
Parish register
A parish register is a handwritten volume, normally kept in a parish church or deposited within a county record office or alternative archive repository, in which details of baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded.-History:...
s date from 1561 and the churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
s' accounts from 1653. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of eight bells. Four of these were cast by John Rudhall
Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester was a family business of bell founders in the city of Gloucester, England, who between 1684 and 1835 produced over 5,000 bells. The business was founded by Abraham Rudhall and the earliest ring of bells he cast was for St Nicholas' Church, Oddington in 1684. He came to be...
in 1802, and the other four were by John Taylor and Company, two of these being dated 1908 and the other two in 1914.
External features
Parts of the churchyardChurchyard
A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
wall are listed Grade II. Within the churchyard are a number of other items listed Grade II, namely, a table tomb dedicated to members of the Duncall family, the tomb of John Bassett, a headstone to the Hobley family, and a sandstone sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
dating probably from the early 18th century. Listed Grade II* are the gate piers and steps at the southwest corner of the churchyard, and the gates, gate piers and steps at south-east corner of churchyard. They were originally made for Oulton Park
Oulton Park
Oulton Park Circuit is a motor racing track in the small village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington with a nearby rail connection along the Mid-Cheshire Line. It occupies much of the area which was...
in the 1720s at the time of John Vanbrugh
John Vanbrugh
Sir John Vanbrugh – 26 March 1726) was an English architect and dramatist, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restoration comedies, The Relapse and The Provoked Wife , which have become enduring stage favourites...
's work there. They were moved to Malpas churchyard around 1773. The gate piers and steps to the west gateway to the churchyard are listed Grade II, as are the gate piers and steps to a small gateway at the southeast corner of the churchyard.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in CheshireGrade I listed buildings in CheshireThe Grade I listed buildings in Cheshire, excluding those in the city of Chester, total around 80, almost half of which are churches.Most Cheshire buildings are in sandstone, brick or are timber framed. The churches are mainly built in stone, while the domestic buildings are mainly in brick. ...
- List of church restorations, amendments and furniture by John Douglas