St Bartholomew's Church, Church Minshull
Encyclopedia
St Bartholomew's Church, Church Minshull is in the village of Church Minshull
, 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 Macclesfield and the deanery of Nantwich. Its benefice
is combined with those of St Mary, Acton
, St David, Wettenhall, and St Oswald, Worleston.
church was originally on the site. This was later replaced by a timber framed
church which in 1572 contained at least 50 coats of arms
of the local nobility, either depicted in the stained glass or painted on the walls. In 1667 a storm damaged the roof and the west wall. At the beginning of the following century the tower partially collapsed and it was rebuilt in 1702. The rest of the church was still in a dangerous condition and it was rebuilt in 1720. A clock was added to the tower in 1722. There were fires in the church in 1798 and 1804 which led to a restoration
in 1861. Further fires occurred in 1874 and 1885. In 1891 there was another restoration of the church, by Walter Boden. The previous internal alterations had weakened the structure of the church and in 2000 it was declared to be unsafe. A major restoration of the roof took place in 2002. During 2007 the tower roof was restored and the parapet rebuilt.
and lead roof. It is believed that the stone pillars inside the church are from the previous building. The exterior walls are of locally-made brick, and the quoins
and finial
s were made of stone from a quarry at Manley near Macclesfield
. The plan of the church consists of a three-bay
nave
with a choir. At the east end is a shallow apse
. The tower, in neoclassical
style, is at the west end. The date 1702 is picked out in glazed bricks on the tower. On its west face are two round headed windows, one above the other. On the south face is a clock which is balanced by stained glass bull's eye windows in the other faces. Above these are louvred
two-light belfry windows. At the top of the tower is an ogee
cornice
and a parapet
with ball-topped finials at the corners. Over the porch is a bull's eye window. The nave and chancel
windows are round headed. Above these is a cornice and a solid red brick parapet, interrupted by ball-topped pilaster
s over each window. Externally on the east wall is a 17th-century marble
armorial
memorial.
s. There are memorials to the Brooke family; on the north wall is a panel containing the arms of the Cholmondeley family painted by one of the Randle Holme
family; on the east wall of the north aisle is a tablet containing details of the members of the Cholmondeley family who were buried in a vault
. At the foot of the tower is the vault of the Wade family from Wades Green. The font
, dated 1717, is in classical style and painted white. It is by John Morfitt. In the apse on each side of the east window are panels containing the Ten Commandments
and prayers. Also in the church are monuments dated 1799 and 1836. The marble
war memorial dates from about 1920. The ring
is of six bells. Four of these are by Rudhall of Gloucester
, three being dated 1717 and the fourth 1768. The other two bells, dated 1982 and 1983, are by Petit & Fritsen
. The parish register
s date from 1561 and churchwarden
s' accounts from 1623.
are listed Grade II. They consist of cast iron
gates hung on sandstone piers.
Church Minshull
Church Minshull is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The village is located approximately north west of Crewe and to the west of the River Weaver and the Shropshire Union Canal...
, 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. 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
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 Nantwich. 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 those of St Mary, Acton
St Mary's Church, Acton
St Mary's Church, Acton is an active Anglican church in Acton, a village to the west of Nantwich, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. A church has been present on this site since before the time of the Domesday Survey. The tower is the...
, St David, Wettenhall, and St Oswald, Worleston.
History
It is possible that a SaxonAnglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
church was originally on the site. This was later replaced by a timber framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
church which in 1572 contained at least 50 coats of 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 the local nobility, either depicted in the stained glass or painted on the walls. In 1667 a storm damaged the roof and the west wall. At the beginning of the following century the tower partially collapsed and it was rebuilt in 1702. The rest of the church was still in a dangerous condition and it was rebuilt in 1720. A clock was added to the tower in 1722. There were fires in the church in 1798 and 1804 which led to 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...
in 1861. Further fires occurred in 1874 and 1885. In 1891 there was another restoration of the church, by Walter Boden. The previous internal alterations had weakened the structure of the church and in 2000 it was declared to be unsafe. A major restoration of the roof took place in 2002. During 2007 the tower roof was restored and the parapet rebuilt.
Exterior
The church is constructed of brick with stone dressings and a slateSlate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
and lead roof. It is believed that the stone pillars inside the church are from the previous building. The exterior walls are of locally-made brick, and the quoins
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
and 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 were made of stone from a quarry at Manley near Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
. The plan of the church consists of a three-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 choir. At the east end is a shallow apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
. The tower, in neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style, is at the west end. The date 1702 is picked out in glazed bricks on the tower. On its west face are two round headed windows, one above the other. On the south face is a clock which is balanced by stained glass bull's eye windows in the other faces. Above these are louvred
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
two-light belfry windows. At the top of the tower is an ogee
Ogee
An ogee is a curve , shaped somewhat like an S, consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite senses, so that the ends are parallel....
cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
and a parapet
Parapet
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 ball-topped finials at the corners. Over the porch is a bull's eye window. The nave 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...
windows are round headed. Above these is a cornice and a solid red brick parapet, interrupted by ball-topped pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s over each window. Externally on the east wall is a 17th-century marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
armorial
Roll of arms
A roll of arms is a collection of coats of arms, usually consisting of rows of painted pictures of shields, each shield accompanied by the name of the person bearing the arms...
memorial.
Interior
At the west end of the church is a gallery, probably dating from 1861, and in the body of the church are box pewBox 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. There are memorials to the Brooke family; on the north wall is a panel containing the arms of the Cholmondeley family painted by one of the Randle Holme
Randle Holme
Randle Holme was a name shared by members of four successive generations of a family who lived in Chester, Cheshire, England from the late years of the 16th century to the early years of the 18th century. They were all herald painters and genealogists and were members of the Stationers' Company of...
family; on the east wall of the north aisle is a tablet containing details of the members of the Cholmondeley family who were buried in a vault
Burial vault (tomb)
A burial vault is a structural underground tomb.It is a stone or brick-lined underground space or 'burial' chamber for the interment of a dead body or bodies. They were originally and are still often vaulted and usually have stone slab entrances...
. At the foot of the tower is the vault of the Wade family from Wades Green. 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:...
, dated 1717, is in classical style and painted white. It is by John Morfitt. In the apse on each side of the east window are panels containing the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
and prayers. Also in the church are monuments dated 1799 and 1836. The marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
war memorial dates from about 1920. 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...
is of six bells. Four of these are 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...
, three being dated 1717 and the fourth 1768. The other two bells, dated 1982 and 1983, are by Petit & Fritsen
Petit & Fritsen
Royal Bellfounders Petit & Fritsen, based in Aarle-Rixtel, the Netherlands, is the oldest family-owned business in the Netherlands, with the foundry dating back to 1660. Included on List of oldest companies...
. 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 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 1623.
External features
The gates and gate piersPier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
are listed Grade II. They consist of cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
gates hung on sandstone piers.