St John the Evangelist's Church, Norley
Encyclopedia
St John the Evangelist's Church, Norley, stands to the west of the village of Norley
, Cheshire
, England. The church 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 Frodsham. Its benefice
is combined with those of Christ Church, Crowton, and St John the Evangelist, Kingsley.
erected in 1833 and consecrated on 24 February 1835. The present church was built in 1878–79 and designed by J. L. Pearson
. The land for the original church had been given by Samuel Woodhouse of Norley Hall
. The new church cost £3,500 (£ as of ).
red sandstone
with a red tile roof. Its style is that of the later 13th century. Its plan consists of a four-bay nave
, a north aisle
, a two-bay chancel
and a vestry
, a central tower, a north transept
and a south porch which is approached by 11 steps. The nave and the tower have two-light windows. Above the tower window is a clock face and above this is a pair of two-light louvred
bell openings. At the top of the tower is a plain parapet
. The chancel windows are lancets and at the east end are three tall windows. The window in the north wall of the transept is more ornate than that in the south wall of the tower.
. The reredos
of 1930, the altar of 1937, and screens of 1919 and 1921 were designed by F. H. Crossley. Most of the stained glass was made in the early and mid 20th century by William Morris of Westminster
. The west window of the north aisle is dated 1950, and is by Trena Cox. In the transept is a Willis
organ, which was restored in 1985 by David Wells. The font
is square and probably came from the older church.
on a red sandstone base and includes marble
plaques. It is a large monument standing about three metres high. On its top is a sarcophagus
on claw feet. It is listed Grade II.
Norley
thumb|right|200px|Map of civil parish of Norley within the former borough of Vale RoyalNorley is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies to the north of Delamere Forest, near the village of Cuddington...
, 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. 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 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 Chester and the deanery of Frodsham. 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 Christ Church, Crowton, and St John the Evangelist, Kingsley.
History
The first church to be erected on the site was 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....
erected in 1833 and consecrated on 24 February 1835. The present church was built in 1878–79 and designed by J. L. Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson was a Gothic Revival architect renowned for his work on churches and cathedrals. Pearson revived and practised largely the art of vaulting, and acquired in it a proficiency unrivalled in his generation.-Early life and education:Pearson was born in Brussels, Belgium on 5...
. The land for the original church had been given by Samuel Woodhouse of Norley Hall
Norley Hall
Norley Hall is a country house in the village of Norley, Cheshire, England. It was built in about 1500 on the site of an earlier house for the Hall family, enlarged in 1697 for John Hall, rebuilt in 1782 for William Hall, and enlarged again in about 1845 for Samuel Woodhouse, giving it a Tudor...
. The new church cost £3,500 (£ as of ).
Exterior
The church is built in tooled ashlarAshlar
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...
red sandstone
Sandstone
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 a red tile roof. Its style is that of the later 13th century. Its plan consists of a four-bay 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...
, a 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...
, a two-bay 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...
and 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....
, a central tower, a north transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
and a south porch which is approached by 11 steps. The nave and the tower have two-light windows. Above the tower window is a clock face and above this is a pair of two-light 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...
bell openings. At the top of the tower is a plain 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...
. The chancel windows are lancets and at the east end are three tall windows. The window in the north wall of the transept is more ornate than that in the south wall of the tower.
Interior
In the chancel is a sediliaSedilia
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...
. The reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
of 1930, the altar of 1937, and screens of 1919 and 1921 were designed by F. H. Crossley. Most of the stained glass was made in the early and mid 20th century by William Morris of Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
. The west window of the north aisle is dated 1950, and is by Trena Cox. In the transept is a Willis
Henry Willis & Sons
thumb|250px|St Bees Priory organ, the last major instrument to be personally supervised by "Father" Henry Willis, 1899Henry Willis & Sons is a British firm of pipe organ builders founded in 1845 in Liverpool. Although most of their installations have been in the UK, examples can be found in other...
organ, which was restored in 1985 by David Wells. 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:...
is square and probably came from the older church.
External features
In the churchyard is a memorial to the Woodhouse family with an earliest date of 1840. It is constructed in ashlar limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
on a red sandstone base and includes 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...
plaques. It is a large monument standing about three metres high. On its top is a sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
on claw feet. It is listed Grade II.