St. Thomas' Church, Mellor
Encyclopedia
St. Thomas' Church, Mellor is at the end of a lane overlooking the village of Mellor
, Greater Manchester
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building. The church contains the oldest wooden pulpit
in England and a late 12th-century Norman
font
. It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the diocese of Chester
, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Chester.
Thomas Rickman
. In 1885 the east gallery was removed. In the first decade of the 20th century the south and west galleries were demolished. In 1960, a death watch beetle
was found in the roof and the roof was replaced. The screen was moved from the front of the nave to its present position at the rear creating a new chapel at the west end. A new Mander organ
was installed in 1977.
The tower dates from the 15th century, built on 12th-century foundations, and the rest of the church dates from its rebuilding in the early 19th century.
with finial
s.
and the Norman
font
. The pulpit is unique in England. Richards states it is the oldest wooden pulpit in England, and possibly in the world. It dates from the time of Edward II
. It is octagonal in shape, with two of the sides forming the entrance. Five of the other six panels are carved with tracery
. It is carved out of one block of wood. The font dates from the 11th century; it is not certain whether it was constructed before or after the Norman conquest
. It is round and plain apart from the bowl which is carved with an incised design of figures and animals. The basin, which is lined with lead. The parish register
s begin in 1629.
, who died in 1855, carved with Masonic
symbols.
Mellor, Greater Manchester
Mellor is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. Mellor, situated between Marple Bridge and New Mills, runs along a tributary of the River Goyt. It extends from the start of the old turnpike road at the boundary of Marple Bridge to the current county...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England. It 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 II listed building. The church contains the oldest wooden pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
in England and a late 12th-century Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
font
Baptismal 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:...
. 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 Macclesfield and the deanery of Chester.
History
The first stone building was probably erected in the early 14th century. In 1783 the walls were partly rebuilt and galleries were constructed on the south and east walls. At this time the church could seat 700 people. In 1815 a new entrance and porch were built and the south wall was repaired. In 1827-29 the chancel and the north wall were reconstructed to designs by the antiquarianAntiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
Thomas Rickman
Thomas Rickman
Thomas Rickman , was an English architect who was a major figure in the Gothic Revival.He was born at Maidenhead, Berkshire, into a large Quaker family, and avoided the medical career envisaged for him by his father, a grocer and druggist; he went into business for himself and married his first...
. In 1885 the east gallery was removed. In the first decade of the 20th century the south and west galleries were demolished. In 1960, a death watch beetle
Death watch beetle
The death watch beetle, Xestobium rufovillosum, is a woodboring beetle. The adult beetle is long, while the xylophagous larvae are up to long....
was found in the roof and the roof was replaced. The screen was moved from the front of the nave to its present position at the rear creating a new chapel at the west end. A new Mander organ
Mander Organs
Mander Organs is an English pipe organ maker and refurbisher based in London. Although well known for many years in the world of organ building, they achieved wider notability in 2004 with their refurbishment of the Royal Albert Hall's Father Willis organ....
was installed in 1977.
The tower dates from the 15th century, built on 12th-century foundations, and the rest of the church dates from its rebuilding in the early 19th century.
Exterior
The church is built in stone. Its plan consists of a west tower, a four-bay nave, a one-bay chancel and a south porch. At the east end is a pointed-arch window. The tower is in three stages and has a west door and window, two-light bell openings above which are clock faces, and a castellated parapetParapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
with finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s.
Interior
Two important items of furniture in the church are the 14th-century pulpitPulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
and the Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
font
Baptismal 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:...
. The pulpit is unique in England. Richards states it is the oldest wooden pulpit in England, and possibly in the world. It dates from the time of Edward II
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
. It is octagonal in shape, with two of the sides forming the entrance. Five of the other six panels are carved with tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
. It is carved out of one block of wood. The font dates from the 11th century; it is not certain whether it was constructed before or after the Norman conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
. It is round and plain apart from the bowl which is carved with an incised design of figures and animals. The basin, which is lined with lead. 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 begin in 1629.
External features
In the churchyard are the remains of an Anglo-Saxon cross and a pair of stone shafts of stocks dating probably from the 19th century. Also in the churchyard is headstone of Thomas BrierleyThomas Brierley
Thomas Brierley was born on July 16, 1785 at Mellor to Joab Brierley and Betty Arnfield. He was also known as Tommy and some references call him Didymus - perhaps confusing him for an uncle of that name or as a common alternative to Thomas....
, who died in 1855, carved with Masonic
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
symbols.