Church of St Cuthbert by the Forest facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Cuthbert by the Forest |
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Eastern aspect
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| OS grid reference | SJ 512 706 |
| Location | Mouldsworth, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Cuthbert |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 26 March 2014 |
| Architect(s) | F. X. Velarde |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Arts and Crafts with Gothic and Germanic references |
| Groundbreaking | 1953 |
| Completed | 1955 |
| Construction cost | Church £7,000 Campanile £1,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick, artificial stone, tiled roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Saint Thomas Becket & Saint Cuthbert by the Forest |
| Diocese | Shrewsbury |
The Church of St Cuthbert by the Forest is a special church in Mouldsworth, Cheshire, England. It's a Roman Catholic church that is still used today. It shares its parish (church area) with St Thomas Becket in Tarporley. A famous architect named F. X. Velarde from Liverpool designed it. This church is so important that it's listed as a Grade II building on the National Heritage List for England. One cool thing about it is its separate bell tower, called a campanile.
History of the Church
People first held church services in this area in 1926. They met in a small building behind what was then the Station Hotel.
In the 1950s, the hotel owners bought some land. They gave this land to the church diocese (a church district). The church was designed by architect F. X. Velarde.
The Church of St Cuthbert opened in September 1955. John Murphy, who was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury, officially opened it. The church building cost £7,000 to build. The separate bell tower, or campanile, cost an extra £1,000. Around 1958, the church became part of the Tarporley parish. The inside of the church was updated in 1976.
Church Design and Look
St Cuthbert's is a small church. It was designed to seat about 72 people. Its design mixes ideas from the Arts and Crafts movement. It also has some features from Gothic architecture and German styles.
Outside the Church
The outside of the church is made of brick. The decorative parts are made of artificial stone. The roof is covered with tiles from Staffordshire.
There is a separate bell tower, called a campanile, to the southeast of the church. The church is built so that the main altar area, called the sanctuary, is at the west end.
The church has a main hall called a nave. It also has a small room for priests, called a sacristy, on the south side. At the west end is an entrance area called a narthex. The sanctuary is rounded, like a half-circle, which is called an apse.
The narthex has two pointed roof sections, called gables. Each gable has a diamond-shaped window. The main entrance is on the north side. The windows along the sides of the nave are paired lancets. These are tall, narrow windows. They are separated by artificial stone supports, called mullions, which are carved with angels.
The sacristy has a doorway on the south side. It also has windows on the south, west, and east walls. The windows on the east wall also have angel mullions. The apse (rounded sanctuary) does not have windows. However, the sides of the sanctuary have windows similar to those in the nave. On the roof of the nave, there are three decorative cross shapes, called finials.
The brick campanile is almost 44 feet (13.4 meters) tall. It has a stone section at the top, called a bellcote. This bellcote holds electronic speakers. On top of the campanile is a copper pyramid-shaped roof with a cross finial.
Inside the Church
The inside of the church is made of brick. The ceilings and the rounded sanctuary (apse) are plastered smooth. In the nave, there are two wide arches that divide the space. There is a similar arch at the entrance to the sanctuary.
The windows have special colored glass, called cathedral glass. The stone supports (mullions) inside are also carved with angels. The Stations of the Cross are made of wood. They were carved in the South Tyrol region. Behind the main altar, there is a shelf. On this shelf is a tabernacle, which is a special box for the Eucharist.
In the south wall of the nave, you can find the entrances to the sacristy and the confessional. A confessional is a small room where people can confess their sins. The narthex (entrance area) also has a small chapel.
See also
- Listed buildings in Mouldsworth
