Church of St Paul, Liverpool facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Paul, Liverpool |
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The Church of St Paul, Liverpool, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | SJ 393 917 |
| Location | Derby Lane, Stoneycroft, Liverpool |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Paul, Liverpool |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founder(s) | H. Douglas Horsfall |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 12 July 1966 |
| Architect(s) | Giles Gilbert Scott |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1913 |
| Completed | 1916 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 142 feet 3 inches (43 m) |
| Width | 57 feet 3 inches (17 m) |
| Spire height | 108 feet (33 m) |
| Materials | Brick, tile roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Paul, Stoneycroft, Liverpool |
| Deanery | West Derby |
| Archdeaconry | Liverpool |
| Diocese | Liverpool |
| Province | York |
The Church of St Paul is a historic building located in Derby Lane, Stoneycroft, Liverpool, England. It is a very important building, listed as a Grade II* listed building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a special building that needs to be protected. The church was designed by a famous architect named Giles Gilbert Scott, who also designed the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral.
In 2016, the building was sold and became a church for the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Contents
History of St Paul's Church
Building the Church
The Church of St Paul was built between 1913 and 1916. A generous person named H. Douglas Horsfall paid for the entire building. It was originally a church for the Church of England. Over the years, the church building was repaired and updated three times: in 1955, 1972, and between 1998 and 2013.
A New Chapter: Coptic Orthodox Church
In 2016, the Church of St Paul was sold to the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Midlands. It is now known as St. Mary & St. Cyril's Coptic Orthodox Church. This means it still serves as a place of worship, but for a different Christian group.
Exploring the Church's Design
Outside the Church
St Paul's Church is built with a strong concrete core. It has bricks on both the inside and outside, along with stone decorations and a tiled roof. The church has a main hall called a nave and a special area for the altar called a chancel. It also has narrow side passages called aisles and three parts sticking out on each side called transepts.
A large central tower stands tall in the middle of the church. Each side of the tower has a rounded arch with two bell openings. These openings have special wooden slats called louvres and decorative stone patterns called Y-tracery. The tower is topped with a pyramid-shaped roof. At the back of the church, there are three tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. Each transept has a unique roof shape, and the side aisles feature round windows called rose windows.
Inside the Church
The inside of St Paul's Church is quite simple and smooth. Most of the walls are covered in a smooth plaster finish called stucco, with some exposed brick for decoration. The main part of the church has three sections, each with a square, arched ceiling called a groin vault. These sections are connected by pointed, rounded ceilings called tunnel vaults.
Steps lead up to the chancel area. In the south transept, there's a small chapel, and in the north transept, you'll find the organ loft and a room for the clergy called a vestry. The low wall around the chancel has a slanted pulpit at each end, where sermons are given.
The church has a large pipe organ with three manuals (keyboards). It was built in 1916 by Rushworth and Dreaper. The beautiful wooden case around the organ is much older, from the 18th century. It was originally in an older St Paul's Church that was torn down. The organ case is decorated with amazing carvings by a famous artist named Grinling Gibbons.
In the tower, there are two bells that were also moved from the old St Paul's Church. The older bell was made in 1775, and the newer, larger bell was cast in 1861 in Dublin, Ireland. Both bells were repaired in 1975 at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Merseyside
