St Mary's Chapel, High Legh
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Chapel, High Legh, is a former Anglican
parish church
in the village of High Legh
, Cheshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building.
to High Legh East Hall. High Legh became a separate parish in 1817. The parish was refounded in 1973 with the nearby St John's Church
as the parish church
. The hall has been demolished. The church was restored
in 1836, another restoration was carried out by William Butterfield
in 1858, and the chancel
, designed by John Oldrid Scott
, was added in 1884.
stone with a tiled roof. Its plan consists of a nave
with aisles and a chancel. On the west front is a central porch with pilaster
s. Above the porch is a three-light Perpendicular window and on each side are two light perpendicular windows. On the gable
is a square bell turret with a single bell. On the east front is a four-light 19th-century Perpendicular-style window.
with Tudor rose
s, fleurs de lys
and stars. The pews in the nave dated 1858 are by Butterfield and the wainscotting and screens of 1884 by are by J. Oldrid Scott.
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 village of High Legh
High Legh
High Legh is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies six miles north west of Knutsford, seven miles east of Warrington and seventeen miles south west of Manchester City Centre....
, 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.
History
The chapel was built around 1581 as 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 High Legh East Hall. High Legh became a separate parish in 1817. The parish was refounded in 1973 with the nearby St John's Church
St John's Church, High Legh
St John's Church, High Legh, is in the village of High Legh, Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Knutsford, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield, and the diocese of Chester. Its benefice was united with that of St Paul, Over Tabley until 1 March 2011. Each...
as the 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....
. The hall has been demolished. The church was restored
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 1836, another restoration was carried out by William Butterfield
William Butterfield
William Butterfield was a Gothic Revival architect and associated with the Oxford Movement . He is noted for his use of polychromy-Biography:...
in 1858, and 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...
, designed by John Oldrid Scott
John Oldrid Scott
John Oldrid Scott was an English architect.He was the son of Sir George Gilbert Scott and Caroline née Oldrid. His brother George Gilbert Scott Junior and nephew Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, were also prominent architects. He married Mary Ann Stevens in 1868, eldest daughter of the Reverend Thomas...
, was added in 1884.
Exterior
The chapel is built in 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...
stone with a tiled roof. Its plan consists of a 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 aisles and a chancel. On the west front is a central porch with 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. Above the porch is a three-light Perpendicular window and on each side are two light perpendicular windows. On the gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
is a square bell turret with a single bell. On the east front is a four-light 19th-century Perpendicular-style window.
Interior
The ceiling has 19th-century pargetingPargeting
Pargeting is a decorative plastering applied to building walls.Pargeting derives from the word 'parget', a Middle English term that is probably derived from the Old French 'pargeter' / 'parjeter', to throw about, or 'porgeter', to roughcast a wall...
with Tudor rose
Tudor rose
The Tudor Rose is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty.-Origins:...
s, fleurs de lys
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
and stars. The pews in the nave dated 1858 are by Butterfield and the wainscotting and screens of 1884 by are by J. Oldrid Scott.