St Helen Witton Church, Northwich
Encyclopedia
St Helen Witton Church, Northwich, is in the centre of the town of Northwich
, Cheshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building. The church is now known as "St Helen's, Witton" or "Northwich Parish Church". It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the diocese of Chester
, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Middlewich. Alec Clifton-Taylor
includes it in his list of 'best' English parish churches.
to St Mary and All Saints, Great Budworth and the area was then known as Witton. The present building dates from the 14th century, with additions in the 15th, 16th and 19th centuries. A tradition that Witton had a chapel as early as the 13th century cannot be verified, but by the mid-14th century a church (technically a chapel of ease) stood on the present site. It was roughly the same length as the current building, had transepts but no aisle
s, side chapels or clerestory
, and was covered by a steeply-pitched roof rising from about the height of the present arcade
. There would have been a chancel
arch with a great beam or loft across it bearing a rood
, but no chancel step. The only seats would have been stone benches around the walls.
Gradually this evolved into the church as it is today. North and south aisles, narrower than those currently present, were added in the 15th century. The tower was built or rebuilt in about 1498, and the name ‘Thomas Hunter’ prominently displayed on it indicates it was the work of the mason of that name who was also associated with nearby Norton Priory
. A porch in roughly the same position as the current porch was added at this time, or perhaps even earlier. The present porch however is certainly no earlier than 1500 and possibly much later: an inscription on its beam commemorates a substantial repair in 1756.
The aisles were rebuilt and widened between 1536 and 1549, bringing what had been a side chapel (now the Lady Chapel
) into the body of the church. The nave
was later also widened, at the expense of the north aisle, and a clerestory added by 1550 at the latest. Probably at this time the present roof over the nave was installed, though there is debate as to whether it was commissioned for the church originally. Later the chancel was widened to match the nave. The chancel was embattled
soon after 1624, when Thomas Farmer, the master of Witton Grammar School
left money for the purpose in his will.
In the 18th century galleries (since removed) were gradually added on three sides of the interior, and in 1767 an organ and organ gallery also installed, possibly over the chancel. Later the organ was placed in the west gallery.
In 1841 a major restoration
was undertaken which involved the re-siting of the pulpit
, changes to the chancel steps, rebuilding of the south and west galleries, renovation of the roof and the making of a grand west door. (Previously the only entrances had been that via the porch to the south and a small door giving access from outside to the tower steps). Twenty years later a large crack developed in the chancel which therefore had to be taken down and rebuilt in 1861–62, and at this time the present three large coloured glass windows behind the altar
were installed. Apart from the roof therefore the chancel is substantially mid-Victorian
. In 1883 the north aisle, then only 8.5 feet (3 m) wide, was widened to make it correspond with the south aisle, and other work done at much the same period included the addition of an altar rail, a new pulpit and the re-flooring of the whole church.
Although there have since been further changes to the interior (including the addition of screens at the east end of the aisles and new coloured glass windows), by the 1890s the church looked much as it does today. It formally became a parish church when "the District Chapelry of St Helen Witton, otherwise Northwich", came into being on 7 August 1900.
with flattish roofs concealed by parapet
s. The plan consists of a tower at the west end, a six-bay
nave with north and south aisles, a chancel with a polygonal east apse
, a vestry
to the north and a south porch. The tower has four stages, is crenellated
and has diagonal buttress
es and a west door. Above this is a four-light window, two-light bellringers' windows on the north and south faces, an empty niche
on the west face, a clock with faces to all sides and paired two-light bell openings.
at the junctions of the main beams and smaller ones at the junctions of the secondary beams. There are no memorials of distinction and most of the old fittings were discarded in the 19th-century restorations
. A 17th-century altar table is still present. The three-manual
organ was built between 1870 and 1880 by Young and Son and later rebuilt by Charles A. Smethurst. The clock
is a double three legged gravity feed made by engineers W. H. Bailey of Salford
. Taking the place of a still earlier clock mentioned in the churchwarden
s' accounts it was installed in 1888 and refurbished in 1911. The ring
consists of eight bells cast by John Taylor and Company of Loughborough
in 1911. The earliest mention of bells in the churchwardens' accounts is in 1692. Until 1877 there were six bells, two more being cast by Taylor's and added that year. All eight bells were taken down, recast and rehung in 1910, again by Taylor's. Inscriptions on the bells before they were recast showed five had been cast in 1712 and one in 1852: the inscription on the No. 5 bell at the time of the 1910 recasting read "Richard Sanders of Bromsgrove made us all six". The parish register
s begin in 1561 and the churchwarden's accounts date from the 17th century.
with a copper dial which is listed Grade II. It was erected in 1800 by the stonemason
John Moors at a cost of £10.3s.3d.
Northwich
Northwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane...
, 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 I listed building. The church is now known as "St Helen's, Witton" or "Northwich Parish 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 Middlewich. 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 churches.
History
The church was originally a chapel of easeChapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
to St Mary and All Saints, Great Budworth and the area was then known as Witton. The present building dates from the 14th century, with additions in the 15th, 16th and 19th centuries. A tradition that Witton had a chapel as early as the 13th century cannot be verified, but by the mid-14th century a church (technically a chapel of ease) stood on the present site. It was roughly the same length as the current building, had transepts but no 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, side chapels or 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...
, and was covered by a steeply-pitched roof rising from about the height of the present arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
. There would have been a 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...
arch with a great beam or loft across it bearing a rood
Rood
A rood is a cross or crucifix, especially a large one in a church; a large sculpture or sometimes painting of the crucifixion of Jesus.Rood is an archaic word for pole, from Old English rōd "pole", specifically "cross", from Proto-Germanic *rodo, cognate to Old Saxon rōda, Old High German ruoda...
, but no chancel step. The only seats would have been stone benches around the walls.
Gradually this evolved into the church as it is today. North and south aisles, narrower than those currently present, were added in the 15th century. The tower was built or rebuilt in about 1498, and the name ‘Thomas Hunter’ prominently displayed on it indicates it was the work of the mason of that name who was also associated with nearby Norton Priory
Norton Priory
Norton Priory is a historic site in Norton, Runcorn, Cheshire, England, comprising the remains of an abbey complex dating from the 12th to 16th centuries, and an 18th-century country house; it is now a museum. The remains are a scheduled ancient monument and have been designated by English...
. A porch in roughly the same position as the current porch was added at this time, or perhaps even earlier. The present porch however is certainly no earlier than 1500 and possibly much later: an inscription on its beam commemorates a substantial repair in 1756.
The aisles were rebuilt and widened between 1536 and 1549, bringing what had been a side chapel (now the Lady Chapel
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
) into the body of the church. 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...
was later also widened, at the expense of the north aisle, and a clerestory added by 1550 at the latest. Probably at this time the present roof over the nave was installed, though there is debate as to whether it was commissioned for the church originally. Later the chancel was widened to match the nave. The chancel was embattled
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
soon after 1624, when Thomas Farmer, the master of Witton Grammar School
Sir John Deane's College
Sir John Deane's College is a sixth form college in Northwich, Cheshire, UK. It was formerly Sir John Deane's Grammar School, which was founded in 1557.-History:...
left money for the purpose in his will.
In the 18th century galleries (since removed) were gradually added on three sides of the interior, and in 1767 an organ and organ gallery also installed, possibly over the chancel. Later the organ was placed in the west gallery.
In 1841 a major 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 undertaken which involved the re-siting of the 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...
, changes to the chancel steps, rebuilding of the south and west galleries, renovation of the roof and the making of a grand west door. (Previously the only entrances had been that via the porch to the south and a small door giving access from outside to the tower steps). Twenty years later a large crack developed in the chancel which therefore had to be taken down and rebuilt in 1861–62, and at this time the present three large coloured glass windows behind the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
were installed. Apart from the roof therefore the chancel is substantially mid-Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
. In 1883 the north aisle, then only 8.5 feet (3 m) wide, was widened to make it correspond with the south aisle, and other work done at much the same period included the addition of an altar rail, a new pulpit and the re-flooring of the whole church.
Although there have since been further changes to the interior (including the addition of screens at the east end of the aisles and new coloured glass windows), by the 1890s the church looked much as it does today. It formally became a parish church when "the District Chapelry of St Helen Witton, otherwise Northwich", came into being on 7 August 1900.
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,...
with flattish roofs concealed by 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...
s. The plan consists of a tower at the west end, 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 aisles, a chancel with a polygonal east apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
, 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....
to the north and a south porch. The tower has four stages, is crenellated
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
and has diagonal buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es and a west door. Above this is a four-light window, two-light bellringers' windows on the north and south faces, an empty niche
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 the west face, a clock with faces to all sides and paired two-light bell openings.
Interior
Over the nave and chancel is a continuous camber-beam and panel oak roof with diagonal cross-braces, large carved bossesBoss (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...
at the junctions of the main beams and smaller ones at the junctions of the secondary beams. There are no memorials of distinction and most of the old fittings were discarded in the 19th-century restorations
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...
. A 17th-century altar table is still present. The three-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 between 1870 and 1880 by Young and Son and later rebuilt by Charles A. Smethurst. The clock
Turret clock
A Turret clock is a clock mounted in a tower or turret, usually to show the current time on a dial with hand or to announce the time by strike, or both. It can also have more than one dial to show days, moon phases, and other astronomical data.-Sundials:...
is a double three legged gravity feed made by engineers W. H. Bailey of Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
. Taking the place of a still earlier clock mentioned in 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 it was installed in 1888 and refurbished in 1911. 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 cast by John Taylor and Company of Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
in 1911. The earliest mention of bells in the churchwardens' accounts is in 1692. Until 1877 there were six bells, two more being cast by Taylor's and added that year. All eight bells were taken down, recast and rehung in 1910, again by Taylor's. Inscriptions on the bells before they were recast showed five had been cast in 1712 and one in 1852: the inscription on the No. 5 bell at the time of the 1910 recasting read "Richard Sanders of Bromsgrove made us all six". 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 1561 and the churchwarden's accounts date from the 17th century.
External features
In the churchyard is a red 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...
with a copper dial which is listed Grade II. It was erected in 1800 by the stonemason
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
John Moors at a cost of £10.3s.3d.