St Mary's Church, Lymm
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church, Lymm, is in the village of Lymm
, Cheshire
, England, standing on a bank overlooking Lymm Dam. 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 Great Budworth.
shows that a church was on the site in the 11th century. Since then it has been rebuilt a number of times. The present church was built in 1850–52 to a design by John Dobson
of Newcastle
. The nave
and aisle
s from an older church dating from the 15th century were blown up with gunpowder
prior to the rebuilding. Alterations and additions were made to the church in 1870–72 by the Chester
architect John Douglas
, including an organ chamber and the reredos
. The tower was replaced in 1888–90 by J. S. Crowther.
. Its plan consists of a west tower, a five-bay
nave
with a clerestory
, north and south aisle
s, a north porch, transept
s, a chancel
, and a vestry
. The tower is in three stages with diagonal buttress
es and an embattled
top. Its west window is in Perpendicular style, and the bell-openings are paired with panel tracery
.
is dated 1623. The stone sedilia
and piscina
are in Decorated style, date from 1871–72, and were designed by John Douglas. The font
is octagonal and dates probably from the 1660s. The church contains an ogee
-headed tomb recess dating from about 1322 that has been moved from the older church. It contains a "supposed" Roman altar. On the walls are two sgraffiti
, one in the south aisle dated 1883, and the other in the north aisle, dated 1906. The stained glass in the west window is dated 1853, and is possibly by David Evans; the glass in the east window is from 1865. Three windows in the south aisle, dated 1851, are by Wailes
. One window in the north aisle, dating from 1897 is by Kempe
, and another, dating from about 1899, is probably by Shrigley and Hunt
.
Memorials in the church include one to John Leigh, of Oughtrington Hall
, who died in 1806, and his wife who died in 1819, and two tablets by E. H. Baily
in the south transept to members of the Fox family who died between 1830 and 1845. There is also a wooden memorial to William Domvylle (of Lymm Hall
) who died in 1686. Lymm's parish registers, now housed at Cheshire Record Office
, provide records of the inhabitants of Lymm since the Reformation
, including notable local families such as the Booths
. Also in the church are 18th-century hatchment
s, and two churchwarden
s' staves dating from the early 19th century. The previous pipe organ
was built in 1858 by Forster and Andrews, and rebuilt in 1944 by Jardine. The present electronic organ
, built by the local organ-builder Hugh Banton
, was installed in 2005. The ring
consists of eight bells which were cast in 1891 by John Taylor and Company.
Lymm
Lymm is a large village and civil parish within the Warrington borough of Cheshire, in North West England. Lymm was an urban district of Cheshire from 1894 to 1974. The civil parish of Lymm incorporates the hamlets of Booths Hill, Broomedge, Church Green, Deansgreen, Heatley, Heatley Heath, Little...
, 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, standing on a bank overlooking Lymm Dam. 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 Great Budworth.
History
The Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
shows that a church was on the site in the 11th century. Since then it has been rebuilt a number of times. The present church was built in 1850–52 to a design by John Dobson
John Dobson (architect)
John Dobson was a 19th-century English architect in the neoclassical tradition. He became the most noted architect in the North of England. Churches and houses by him dot the North East - Nunnykirk Hall, Meldon Park, Mitford Hall, Lilburn Tower, St John the Baptist Church in Otterburn,...
of Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. 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...
and 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 from an older church dating from the 15th century were blown up with gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
prior to the rebuilding. Alterations and additions were made to the church in 1870–72 by the Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
architect 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...
, including an organ chamber and 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....
. The tower was replaced in 1888–90 by J. S. Crowther.
Exterior
The church is built in buff 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,...
. Its plan consists of a west tower, a five-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 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...
, north and south 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, a north porch, 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...
s, 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...
, 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....
. The tower is in three stages with 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 an 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...
top. Its west window is in Perpendicular style, and the bell-openings are paired with panel tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
.
Interior
The chancel has a panelled ceiling, and the transepts contain galleries. The plain pulpitPulpit
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...
is dated 1623. The stone sedilia
Sedilia
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...
and piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
are in Decorated style, date from 1871–72, and were designed by John Douglas. 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 octagonal and dates probably from the 1660s. The church contains 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....
-headed tomb recess dating from about 1322 that has been moved from the older church. It contains a "supposed" Roman altar. On the walls are two sgraffiti
Sgraffito
Sgraffito is a technique either of wall decor, produced by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colors to a moistened surface, or in ceramics, by applying to an unfired ceramic body two successive layers of contrasting slip, and then in either case scratching so as to produce an...
, one in the south aisle dated 1883, and the other in the north aisle, dated 1906. The stained glass in the west window is dated 1853, and is possibly by David Evans; the glass in the east window is from 1865. Three windows in the south aisle, dated 1851, are by Wailes
William Wailes
William Wailes, , was the proprietor of one of England’s largest and most prolific stained glass workshops.- Biographical :Wailes was born and grew up in Newcastle on Tyne, England’s centre of domestic glass and bottle manufacturing. His first business was as a grocer and tea merchant...
. One window in the north aisle, dating from 1897 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...
, and another, dating from about 1899, is probably by Shrigley and Hunt
Shrigley and Hunt
Shrigley and Hunt was the name of an English firm which produced stained glass windows and art tiles.The business began in the 1750s when Shrigley's was a painting, carving and gilding firm in Lancaster, Lancashire....
.
Memorials in the church include one to John Leigh, of Oughtrington Hall
Oughtrington Hall
Oughtrington Hall is a country house standing to the south of the settlement of Oughtrington and to the east of the village of Lymm, in Cheshire, England. It was built in about 1830 for Trafford Trafford. In 1862 it was bought by G. C. Dewhurst, a cotton manufacturer from Manchester. ...
, who died in 1806, and his wife who died in 1819, and two tablets by E. H. Baily
Edward Hodges Baily
Edward Hodges Baily RA FRS - was an English sculptor who was born in Downend in Bristol.-Life:...
in the south transept to members of the Fox family who died between 1830 and 1845. There is also a wooden memorial to William Domvylle (of Lymm Hall
Lymm Hall
-History:The house was built in the 17th century for the Domville family. In the 18th or early 19th century, wings were added. In about 1840, stepped gables and mullioned windows were installed, resulting in a symmetrical front in neo-Jacobean style...
) who died in 1686. Lymm's parish registers, now housed at Cheshire Record Office
Cheshire Record Office
The Cheshire Record Office is the county record office and diocesan record office for Cheshire. It houses the Cheshire Archives and Local Studies Service . Since 1986 it has been based in Duke Street, Chester.-Further reading:*Caroline M...
, provide records of the inhabitants of Lymm since the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, including notable local families such as the Booths
Booth Baronets
There have been three Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Booth, one in the Baronetage of England and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. One creation is extant as of 2010...
. Also in the church are 18th-century hatchment
Hatchment
A hatchment is a funeral demonstration of the lifetime "achievement" of the arms and any other honours displayed on a black lozenge-shaped frame which used to be suspended against the wall of a deceased person's house...
s, and two 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' staves dating from the early 19th century. The previous pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
was built in 1858 by Forster and Andrews, and rebuilt in 1944 by Jardine. The present electronic organ
Electronic organ
An electronic organ is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally, it was designed to imitate the sound of pipe organs, theatre organs, band sounds, or orchestral sounds....
, built by the local organ-builder Hugh Banton
Hugh Banton
Hugh Robert Banton is a British organist and organ builder, most widely known for his work with the group Van der Graaf Generator in the 1970s.-Career:...
, was installed in 2005. 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 which were cast in 1891 by John Taylor and Company.