St Bartholomew's Church, Barrow
Encyclopedia
St Bartholomew's Church, Barrow is in the village of Great Barrow in the civil parish
of Barrow, Cheshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church
in the diocese of Chester
, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester.
when it was given by Robert de Bachepuz to the Knights Hospitallers of St John
who had a preceptory here. It became a parish church
during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I
. The chancel
was built in 1671 for Dean Bridgeman and the tower is dated 1744. By the 18th and early 19th centuries the church was in a poor condition. A limited restoration
was carried out in 1871 by John Douglas
, who performed a more substantial scheme in 1883.
ashlar
with a red tile roof. There is some medieval
stone work in the north aisle
. The church consists of a four-bay
nave
with a north aisle, a south porch and a three-bay chancel. The four-stage tower is at the west end, with a clock in its third stage. Two lead down spouts are inscribed with the date 1744. The roof of the chancel is hammer beam
and the ends of the hammers bear the arms
of Dean Bridgeman.
with a lead bowl dated 1713. The stained glass in the east window of the chancel and the east window of the north aisle is by Kempe
. In the tower is an early Georgian
chest dated 1718. In the church are charity boards dated 1711, 1725 and 1848. A monument to a Mrs Wallis who died in 1848 is by T. and E. Gaffin and depicts an angel kneeling by an urn
. The parish register
s begin in 1572, with a gap between 1679 and 1681. The churchwarden
s' accounts begin in 1857. The single bell bears the date 1767 and was probably cast by Rudhall of Gloucester
. The two-manual
organ was built by Binns.
. It consists of a square base of two steps with a socket containing a slightly tapering octagonal shaft and a cap of buff sandstone. The base and the shaft were originally part of a cross
dating from the early 15th century. The cap was added later together with a small square plate inscribed with the date 1705. The plate is now missing. The sundial is listed Grade II, and is a scheduled monument. Also listed Grade II are the gates of the churchyard, their overthrow
and the gate piers.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Barrow, Cheshire
Barrow, Cheshire
Barrow is a civil parish containing the villages of Great Barrow, Little Barrow and Stamford Bridge. It is situated about east-north-east of Chester, north-west of Tarporley, and south of Frodsham.-See also:*St Bartholomew's Church, Barrow...
, 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. It is an active Anglican 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 Chester.
History
A church has been present on this site since at least the reign of Henry IIHenry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
when it was given by Robert de Bachepuz to the Knights Hospitallers of St John
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
who had a preceptory here. It became a 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....
during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. The 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...
was built in 1671 for Dean Bridgeman and the tower is dated 1744. By the 18th and early 19th centuries the church was in a poor condition. A limited 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...
was carried out in 1871 by 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...
, who performed a more substantial scheme in 1883.
Exterior
The church 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,...
ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
with a red tile roof. There is some medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
stone work in the north 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...
. The church consists of a four-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
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...
with a north aisle, a south porch and a three-bay chancel. The four-stage tower is at the west end, with a clock in its third stage. Two lead down spouts are inscribed with the date 1744. The roof of the chancel is hammer beam
Hammerbeam roof
Hammerbeam roof, in architecture, is the name given to an open timber roof, typical of English Gothic architecture, using short beams projecting from the wall.- Design :...
and the ends of the hammers bear the arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Dean Bridgeman.
Interior
In the church is an octagonal sandstone 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:...
with a lead bowl dated 1713. The stained glass in the east window of the chancel and the east window of the north aisle is 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...
. In the tower is an early Georgian
Georgian era
The Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
chest dated 1718. In the church are charity boards dated 1711, 1725 and 1848. A monument to a Mrs Wallis who died in 1848 is by T. and E. Gaffin and depicts an angel kneeling by an urn
Urn
An urn is a vase, ordinarily covered, that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed pedestal. "Knife urns" placed on pedestals flanking a dining-room sideboard were an English innovation for high-style dining rooms of the late 1760s...
. 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 1572, with a gap between 1679 and 1681. 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 begin in 1857. The single bell bears the date 1767 and was probably cast by Rudhall of Gloucester
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...
. 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 by Binns.
External features
The tower was formerly decorated with urns but these were considered to be dangerous and were removed in 1929. They are now placed outside the church at the foot of the tower. In the church yard is a sandstone sundialSundial
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...
. It consists of a square base of two steps with a socket containing a slightly tapering octagonal shaft and a cap of buff sandstone. The base and the shaft were originally part of a cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
dating from the early 15th century. The cap was added later together with a small square plate inscribed with the date 1705. The plate is now missing. The sundial is listed Grade II, and is a scheduled monument. Also listed Grade II are the gates of the churchyard, their overthrow
Overthrow
Overthrow may refer to:* Overthrow, a change in government, often achieved by force or through a coup.**The 5th October Overthrow, or Bulldozer Revolution, the events of 2000 that led to the downfall of Slobodan Milošević in the former Yugoslavia....
and the gate piers.