All Saints' Church, Childwall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church, Childwall |
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All Saints' Church, Childwall, from the south
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| 53°23′43″N 2°52′54″W / 53.3953°N 2.8816°W | |
| OS grid reference | SJ 414 890 |
| Location | Childwall, Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | http://www.allsaints-childwall.org/ |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 14th century |
| Dedication | All Saints |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 28 June 1952 |
| Architect(s) | W. Raffles Brown James F. Doyle |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red sandstone |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Liverpool South – Childwall |
| Archdeaconry | Liverpool |
| Diocese | Liverpool |
| Province | York |
All Saints' Church is a very old and important church in Childwall, Liverpool, England. It is so special that it's listed as a 'Grade I listed building'. This means it's a top historical treasure! It's also the only church left in Liverpool that was built way back in the Middle Ages. Today, it's still an active Anglican parish church and is part of the Liverpool diocese.
Contents
History of the Church
The oldest parts of the church, like the chancel (the area around the altar), were built in the 1300s. The south aisle (a side section) and the porch were added in the 1400s. More parts were added in the 1700s.
The tall tower and pointy spire you see today were rebuilt in 1810-1811. This happened after another church's spire in Liverpool fell down, making people worry about other old spires. The new tower and spire looked almost exactly like the old ones, but they were moved a little bit to the west.
The north aisle was built in 1833 and then partly rebuilt between 1900 and 1905. There are two special chapels inside. Plumbs' Chapel on the north side was built in 1716. The Salisbury pew (which used to be Isaac Green's Chapel) on the south side was built between 1739 and 1740.
The church was repaired and updated between 1851 and 1853 by an architect named W. Raffles Brown. James F. Doyle rebuilt part of the north aisle and added a vestry (a room for clergy) in 1905-1906. More recently, between 1987 and 1991, the outside of the church was repaired. In 1994, the church clock was also fixed.
What the Church Looks Like
The church is built from red sandstone. It has a tower at the west end and a main area called the nave. Above the nave walls, there's a row of windows called a clerestory. It also has a chancel, a south aisle, and a much wider north aisle that goes past the chancel. There's a porch on the south side where you enter.
Two chapels stick out from the aisles. On the west wall, there's a small opening called a leper's squint. This allowed people who couldn't enter the church to still see the service from outside. Today, the squint is below ground because when the old tower was taken down, the leftover pieces were just smoothed over.
The current tower has a large window, a clock on three sides, and openings for the bells. The spire sits behind a fancy stone railing with gargoyles (carved stone figures).
Inside, there are three rows of arches supported by eight-sided columns. A balcony stretches across the back of the nave and the south aisle. The chancel ceiling is shaped like a barrel. You can see a small piece of an old Saxon cross attached to the porch wall. A Norman stone carving (a capital) is set sideways into the east wall of the chancel.
The church floor used to slope downwards because it was built on a hill. The chancel floor was raised in 1851, but the nave floor still slopes noticeably towards the east.
Inside the Church: Fittings and Furniture
Inside, you'll find box pews, which are like individual seating areas, put in during the 1851-1853 repairs. The choir stalls (seats for the choir) are from the early 1900s. They were designed by famous architects Bodley and Scott and were originally meant for Liverpool Cathedral.
There's a display case with a beautifully carved bench end from the early 1600s. A brass chandelier (a hanging light fixture) in the nave is from 1737. There are also two copies of it from 1892 in the chancel.
The church has 12 hatchments, which are diamond-shaped boards showing a person's coat of arms after they died. There are also boards listing people who gave money to the church or charities. In the south aisle, you'll find two special areas with memorials for the Norris family, who lived at Speke Hall. The north chancel aisle has a colorful enamelled brass plaque by Warrington, remembering Major W. Pitcairn Campbell who died in 1855.
The church has beautiful stained glass windows made by different artists like William Warrington, Kempe, Heaton, Butler and Bayne, Percy Bacon, and Mary Lowndes. In the south wall of the chancel, there are parts of a 14th-century piscina (a basin for washing communion vessels), which is now at floor level because the chancel floor was raised. A 14th-century door used by priests is kept in a display case on the north wall. The church also has a set of six bells that were made in 1912.
Outside the Church
The churchyard is where people are buried. You can find the graves of John Charles Ryle, who was the first Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, and his wife here. The grave of the poet William Watson is also in the churchyard. There are also graves for six service members from World War I and five from World War II.
Against the south wall of the churchyard, there's a fancy archway with a triangular top. This is a memorial to Sir Andrew Barclay Walker and his wife. Also in the churchyard is a sandstone building from 1811 called a hearse house, which is where a carriage for funerals was kept. This building is also a listed building, rated as Grade II.
See Also
