St Michael's Church, Baddiley
Encyclopedia
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 14th century. The nave
and chancel
are divided by a pre-Reformation
screen and tympanum
. The church is one of a 'handful' of timber-framed
churches remaining in the country. It continues to be 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 Mary's and St Michael's Church, Burleydam
and St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury
.
, was encased in brick. In 2003–2004 repairs were carried out to the timber framework, the south door and the external brickwork of the chancel.
nave and a narrower lower chancel with a vestry
to its north. In the west wall is an inset porch. The timber framing
of the chancel is now infilled with brick which has replaced the original wattle and daub
. Its north and south walls feature close studding
with no middle rail. In the centre of the south wall is a Gothic
wooden door flanked by three-light windows. The lean-to vestry is on the north side. The east wall has a three-light window with a small trefoil
window above it. The nave has three three-light windows with Gothic heads in the north and south walls. The west wall has pairs of brick pilaster
s flanking the porch, which contains side seats. On the apex of the gable is a louvred
bell turret
.
of Charles II
above the coat of arms
of the Mainwarings. On each side of these are two panels containing the Ten Commandments
, the Creed and the Lord's Prayer
.
The nave roof is medieval
and of camber beam
construction. The altar rails are dated 1701. At the west end is a Georgian
gallery and in the body of the church are box pew
s and a three decker pulpit
. In the chancel is a large monument to Sir Thomas Mainwaring who died in 1726, which is decorated with putti
and the family arms
. At gallery level are two wall panels which record the wills of benefactors who left money to the poor of the parish. The parish register
s begin in 1597 and the churchwarden
s' accounts in 1636.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Baddiley
Baddiley
Baddiley is a scattered settlement and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The civil parish also includes the north-western part of the village of Ravensmoor , as well as the small settlements of Baddiley Hulse, Batterley Hill, and...
, 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 lies at the end of a lane near to Baddiley Hall
Baddiley Hall
Baddiley Hall is a country house in the settlement of Baddiley in Cheshire, England. Previously there was a half-timbered house on the site, but this had been replaced by the current house before the death of its owner, Sir Henry Mainwaring, in 1797. It is constructed in brown brick with a slate...
, formerly the home of the Mainwaring family. It dates from the early 14th century. 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 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...
are divided by a pre-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...
screen and tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
. The church is one of a 'handful' of timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
churches remaining in the country. It continues to be 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 Mary's and St Michael's Church, Burleydam
St Mary's and St Michael's Church, Burleydam
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 to the southeast of Combermere Abbey. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building...
and St Margaret's Church, 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 dates from 1308. In 1811 the nave, other than the west gableGable
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...
, was encased in brick. In 2003–2004 repairs were carried out to the timber framework, the south door and the external brickwork of the chancel.
Exterior
The plan of the church is simple consisting of a three-bayBay (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 and a narrower lower chancel with 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 its north. In the west wall is an inset porch. The timber framing
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
of the chancel is now infilled with brick which has replaced the original wattle and daub
Wattle and daub
Wattle and daub is a composite building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw...
. Its north and south walls feature close studding
Close studding
Close studding is a form of timber work used in timber-framed buildings in which vertical timbers are set close together, dividing the wall into narrow panels...
with no middle rail. In the centre of the south wall is 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....
wooden door flanked by three-light windows. The lean-to vestry is on the north side. The east wall has a three-light window with a small trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
window above it. The nave has three three-light windows with Gothic heads in the north and south walls. The west wall has pairs of brick 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 flanking the porch, which contains side seats. On the apex of the gable is a 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 turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
.
Interior
The nave and chancel are divided by a pre-Reformation screen and tympanum, which is unusual in Cheshire. The screen is of plain uprights and Richards describes the tympanum as one of the most colourful of its kind in England. On it is the date 1663 and in the middle are the royal armsRoyal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion...
of Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
above the coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the Mainwarings. On each side of these are two panels containing the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
, the Creed and the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
.
The nave roof is medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and of camber beam
Camber beam
In building, a camber beam is a piece of timber cut archwise, or with an obtuse angle in the middle, commonly used in platforms, as church leads, and other occasions where long and strong beams are required....
construction. The altar rails are dated 1701. At the west end is a Georgian
Georgian era
The Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
gallery and in the body of the church are box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s and a three decker 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...
. In the chancel is a large monument to Sir Thomas Mainwaring who died in 1726, which is decorated with putti
Putto
A putto is a figure of an infant often depicted as a young male. Putti are defined as chubby, winged or wingless, male child figure in nude. Putti are distinct from cherubim, but some English-speakers confuse them with each other, except that in the plural, "the Cherubim" refers to the biblical...
and the family arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
. At gallery level are two wall panels which record the wills of benefactors who left money to the poor of the parish. 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 1597 and 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 in 1636.