Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bowdon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bowdon |
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Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bowdon, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | SJ 758 868 |
| Location | Bowdon, Altrincham, Greater Manchester |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Mary, Bowdon |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Virgin Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 12 July 1985 |
| Architect(s) | W. H. Brakspear |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1860 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, slate roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Bowdon |
| Deanery | Bowdon |
| Archdeaconry | Macclesfield |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a beautiful and historic church. You can find it in the village of Bowdon, which is close to Altrincham in Greater Manchester, England. This church is very important. It is listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a special building that needs to be protected. It is an active Anglican parish church and part of the diocese of Chester.
Contents
History of the Church
There has been a church on this spot for a very long time. Records show a church here even in the Domesday Book. This book was a huge survey of England finished in 1086. It's thought that a new church was built around the 1300s. Then, it was updated again in the 1500s.
The church you see today was mostly rebuilt between 1858 and 1860. This work was done by an architect named W. H. Brakspear. However, some parts of the old church were kept. The roofs of the side sections, called aisles, from the 1500s were saved. They were then put into the new building.
Church Design and Look
Outside the Church
The church is built using pink and red Runcorn sandstone. It has a roof made of slate. The church design includes a tall tower at the west end. It also has a main area called a nave with six sections. There are side aisles and upper windows called a clerestory. The church also has north and south transepts, which are like arms sticking out. At the east end is the chancel, where the altar is. On one side of the chancel is a space for the organ and a vestry (a room for clergy). On the other side is a small chapel.
The tower has four levels. It has strong diagonal supports called buttresses. You can see fancy clock faces and openings for the bells. Look closely, and you might spot gargoyles! The very top of the tower is castellated, meaning it looks like the top of a castle wall. The aisles and clerestory also have this castle-like top. The transepts have tall, pointed decorations called pinnacles at their corners.
Inside the Church
Inside, you can see the old roofs from the 1500s in the aisles. These roofs are called camber beam roofs. They are beautifully carved with special decorations called bosses. You can also see coats of arms carved into them. The main nave roof is a hammerbeam roof, which is another type of impressive wooden roof.
In the north transept, there is an altar table from the early 1700s. You can also see a chest that dates back to 1635. The chairs in the sanctuary (the area around the altar) are from the Jacobean era (early 1600s). A very old, eight-sided baptismal font from the 1400s is now in the north aisle. This is where baptisms take place.
The church has many old tombs and monuments. Some of these were moved from the older medieval church. The oldest ones are two damaged stone figures in the north transept. One of them is of Sir William Baguley, who died around 1320. There's also the Brereton monument. It shows stone figures of William Brereton (who died in 1630) and his wife Jane. They are under a special stone roof called a canopy. On the side of their tomb, you can see kneeling figures of their seven children.
In the chapel, there are two memorials made by an artist named André Carpentière. One is for Henry Booth, who was the 1st Earl of Warrington, and his family. The other is for Langham Booth and Henry Booth. There is also a wall tablet for the Assheton family, made by Richard Westmacott.
In the north transept, you can find a collection of loose carved stones. Some of these stones are from the Norman period, which was a very long time ago! The church also has beautiful stained glass windows. Some were made by Kempe and others by Clutterbuck. The pulpit, where sermons are given, was made around 1910 by Temple Moore.
The church has a large organ with three keyboards, called manuals. It was built in 1875. The parish registers, which record baptisms, weddings, and burials, started in 1628. The church also has a ring of eight bells. These bells were made in 1964 by John Taylor & Co.
Outside the Church Grounds
In the churchyard, there are three other structures that are also listed buildings. One is an old sundial post made of sandstone. Its exact age is not known. It has an eight-sided pole on a square base. There is also a sandstone war memorial from around 1920, designed by Arthur Hennings. The third listed structure includes the stone posts, railings, and walls that surround the churchyard.
The churchyard is also a place of remembrance. It contains the war graves of twelve soldiers from World War I. There is also the grave of an airman from World War II.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester
- Listed buildings in Bowdon, Greater Manchester
- List of churches in Greater Manchester
- List of church fittings and furniture by Temple Moore
