St Mary's and St Michael's Church, Burleydam
Encyclopedia
St Mary's and St Michael's Church, Burleydam is in the village of Burleydam in the civil parish of Dodcott cum Wilkesley
, Cheshire
, England. The church is some 1.5 miles (2 km) to the southeast of Combermere Abbey
. 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 Michael, Baddiley
, and St Margaret, Wrenbury
.
in shape and in 1886 two further transept
s, a chancel
, a new west wall, a northwestern porch and a bellcote were added. The church was noted by Dr Johnson
on his visit to Combermere in 1774.
roof. The west aspect has pilaster
buttress
es on each side on top of which are conical caps and ball finial
s. In the centre are three arched windows above which is a stone cornice
and a gable
containing a circular clock face with a stone surround. At the apex of the gable
is a cross. On the ridge behind this is a timber bellcote with a lead roof and a weather-cock
on the summit. The north aspect has a porch to the right with a round arch to the door above which is a carving of Saint George
slaying the dragon. To the left are the transept
and chancel
with arched windows. The south aspect is similar but without a porch. The east aspect has a triple round-headed window and pilaster buttresses similar to those on the west aspect.
under a Gothic
arch. The stained glass in the east window is by Kempe
and is dated 1908. The two-manual
organ was built by Peter Conacher of Huddersfield.
railings, piers
and gates at the entry to the churchyard date from the early 18th century are listed Grade II. They were brought from Llewenny
and were also noted by Dr Johnson.
Dodcott cum Wilkesley
Dodcott cum Wilkesley is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The hamlet of Wilkesley lies 2½ miles to the west of Audlem and 7 miles to the south west of Nantwich. The parish also includes the small settlements of Butterley...
, 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 is some 1.5 miles (2 km) to the southeast of Combermere Abbey
Combermere Abbey
Combermere Abbey is a former monastery in Combermere Park, between Nantwich and Whitchurch in Cheshire, England, near the border with Shropshire.-Topomony:...
. 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 Michael, Baddiley
St Michael's Church, Baddiley
St Michael's Church, Baddiley is in the civil parish of Baddiley, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. The church lies at the end of a lane near to Baddiley Hall, formerly the home of the Mainwaring family. It dates from the early...
, and St Margaret, Wrenbury
St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury
St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury overlooks the village green of Wrenbury, 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 Macclesfield and the deanery of...
.
History
The church was built in 1769 at the expense of the Cottons of Combermere Abbey. This church was cruciformCruciform
Cruciform means having the shape of a cross or Christian cross.- Cruciform architectural plan :This is a common description of Christian churches. In Early Christian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox forms of church architecture this is more likely to mean a tetraconch plan, a Greek cross,...
in shape and in 1886 two further 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...
, a new west wall, a northwestern porch and a bellcote were added. The church was noted by Dr Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
on his visit to Combermere in 1774.
Exterior
The church is built in brick with 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...
roof. The west aspect has 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....
buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es on each side on top of which are conical caps and ball 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. In the centre are three arched windows above which is a stone 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 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...
containing a circular clock face with a stone surround. At the apex of 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 cross. On the ridge behind this is a timber bellcote with a lead roof and a weather-cock
Weather vane
A weather vane is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind. They are typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building....
on the summit. The north aspect has a porch to the right with a round arch to the door above which is a carving of Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
slaying the dragon. To the left are the 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 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...
with arched windows. The south aspect is similar but without a porch. The east aspect has a triple round-headed window and pilaster buttresses similar to those on the west aspect.
Interior
In the church is a monument to Viscount Combermere who died in 1865. It consists of a bustBust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
under a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
arch. The stained glass in the east window 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 is dated 1908. The two-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 by Peter Conacher of Huddersfield.
External features
The cast ironCast 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...
railings, piers
Pier (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...
and gates at the entry to the churchyard date from the early 18th century are listed Grade II. They were brought from Llewenny
Lleweni Hall
Lleweni Hall was a stately home in Denbighshire, northeast Wales Lleweni Hall (Welsh, Plas Lleweni, sometimes also referred to as Llewenny Palace) was a stately home in Denbighshire, northeast Wales Lleweni Hall (Welsh, Plas Lleweni, sometimes also referred to as Llewenny Palace) was a stately...
and were also noted by Dr Johnson.