Grade I listed churches in Merseyside facts for kids
Merseyside is a county in North West England. It was created in 1974 and includes areas like Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the famous city of Liverpool.
Buildings in England are listed to protect them because they are special. This is done by English Heritage, who recommend buildings to the government. Grade I listed buildings are the most important. They are considered to be of "exceptional interest" and sometimes even important worldwide. Only about 2.5% of all listed buildings are given this top grade. This article lists all the Grade I churches in Merseyside.
Churches have been in Merseyside since Anglo-Saxon times, but the oldest parts you can see today are from the Norman period (around the 12th century). Most of the churches on this list are either from the Middle Ages, built in the Gothic style, or from the 19th and 20th centuries, built in a similar style called Gothic Revival.
Some medieval Gothic churches include St Andrew in Bebington and All Saints in Childwall. Both have parts from the Norman era. St Mary in Prescot and St Helen in Sefton are also medieval.
In the 19th century, famous architects designed many Gothic Revival churches. Examples are St Agnes and St Pancras in Toxteth Park by J. Loughborough Pearson, St John the Baptist in Tuebrook by G. F. Bodley, and All Hallows in Allerton by G. E. Grayson. Liverpool Cathedral, a huge church built in the 20th century, is also in the Gothic Revival style.
A few churches from between these main periods include the Ancient Chapel of Toxteth and The Oratory by John Foster. The Oratory and the steeple of St Mary, Prescot, are the only buildings on the list that are in the Neoclassical style, which looks like ancient Greek or Roman buildings.
Two churches, St Michael in Aigburth and St George in Everton, were special because they used cast iron in their structure and decorations. Most churches on this list are Anglican (Church of England). Other churches include the Roman Catholic Church of St Clare in Sefton Park and Ullet Road Unitarian Church. In 2017, the Roman Catholic Church of St. Monica in Bootle, built in a modern style, was also given Grade I status.
Merseyside was not very populated until the late 1800s. Liverpool is its biggest city, known as a port and business hub. While there's industry in Liverpool and St Helens, much of the area used to be farmland. The churches are mostly built from sandstone, which is common in the region.
Amazing Churches of Merseyside
| Name | Location | Photograph | Cool Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Michael | Aigburth, Liverpool 53°22′36″N 2°57′00″W / 53.3766°N 2.9499°W |
This church was designed by Thomas Rickman and John Cragg, who used cast iron parts from Cragg's factory. It was built between 1813 and 1815. Many parts, like the walls and pointy decorations, are made of cast iron. The church is partly covered in brick and slate. | |
| All Hallows | Allerton, Liverpool 53°22′51″N 2°54′13″W / 53.3807°N 2.9035°W |
G. E. Grayson designed this church for John Bibby, a ship owner. It was built from 1872 to 1876 using sandstone in the Perpendicular Gothic style. Most of its beautiful stained glass windows were made by Morris & Co. and designed by Edward Burne-Jones. The church also has a special tomb for the Bibby family. | |
| St Andrew | Bebington, Wirral 53°20′53″N 3°00′12″W / 53.3480°N 3.0034°W |
A church has stood here since Anglo-Saxon times, but it was replaced by a Norman church in the 12th century. You can still see parts of the Norman arches. The tower and its spire were added in the 14th century. The east end was rebuilt in the 16th century. The church was repaired and added to several times in the 1800s. | |
| St Monica | Bootle, Sefton 53°27′14″N 2°58′47″W / 53.4539°N 2.9797°W |
This is a Roman Catholic church built in 1935–36. It was designed by F. X. Velarde in a modern style. It's made of brick with a green tiled roof. The church has a main hall, side aisles, and a wide tower at the front. On the tower, there are three angels carved by H. Tyson Smith. | |
| All Saints | Childwall, Liverpool 53°23′43″N 2°52′54″W / 53.3953°N 2.8816°W |
The oldest part of All Saints, the chancel, is from the 14th century. The south aisle and porch might be from the 15th century. More additions were made in the 1700s, and the steeple was built in 1810–11. Inside the porch, you can see a piece of an Anglo-Saxon cross. There's also a Norman stone decoration in the east wall. | |
| St George | Everton, Liverpool 53°25′31″N 2°58′17″W / 53.4253°N 2.9715°W |
This is the first of three Liverpool churches designed by Thomas Rickman with John Cragg, who used cast iron parts. The outside is made of stone and is in the Perpendicular Gothic style. Sadly, almost all the stained glass was destroyed during World War II. | |
| Liverpool Cathedral | Liverpool 53°23′51″N 2°58′24″W / 53.3974°N 2.9733°W |
This huge cathedral was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, with help from G. F. Bodley at the start. Building began in 1904, and the Lady Chapel was finished in 1910. Construction continued for most of the century, with the tower completed in 1942 and the whole building in 1978. It's made of red sandstone in the Gothic style and has a cross shape, with a large tower in the middle. | |
| Oratory | Liverpool 53°23′55″N 2°58′24″W / 53.3987°N 2.9732°W |
Built in 1829, this was a chapel for the nearby St James Cemetery. It was designed by John Foster in the Greek Revival style, which looks like ancient Greek temples. Inside, there are statues and monuments by famous sculptors like John Gibson and Francis Chantrey. | |
| St Mary | Prescot, Knowsley 53°25′43″N 2°48′23″W / 53.4285°N 2.8063°W |
Parts of this church, like the north vestry and south chancel wall, are from the 14th century. The main hall and chapel were built in 1610. The steeple was added in 1729. The steeple is in the Neoclassical style, but the rest of the church is Gothic. Many of the inside decorations are from the 1600s. There's also a Norman font (for baptisms) and artworks by C. E. Kempe and A. W. N. Pugin. | |
| St Helen | Sefton 53°30′16″N 2°58′16″W / 53.5044°N 2.9712°W |
The oldest parts of this church are from the 14th century, with pieces from a 12th-century church inside. Most of the church was built between 1489 and 1557 and is in the Perpendicular Gothic style. The church was restored between 1907 and 1922. It has seven screens from the early and mid-1500s. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is from 1635 and has detailed carvings. | |
| St Agnes and St Pancras | Sefton Park, Liverpool 53°23′23″N 2°56′24″W / 53.3896°N 2.9399°W |
Designed by J. Loughborough Pearson, this church was built from 1883 to 1885. It's made of red brick with sandstone decorations, in a 13th-century style with English and French influences. A famous architectural historian, Nikolaus Pevsner, called it "by far the most beautiful Victorian church of Liverpool." | |
| St Clare | Sefton Park, Liverpool 53°23′28″N 2°56′12″W / 53.3910°N 2.9367°W |
This is a Roman Catholic church designed by Leonard Stokes, built in 1889–90. The support structures (buttresses) are inside the church, creating narrow walkways. The reredos (a screen behind the altar) is a large three-part artwork with paintings and sculptures by Robert Anning Bell and George Frampton. | |
| Ullet Road Unitarian Church | Sefton Park, Liverpool 53°23′24″N 2°56′17″W / 53.3899°N 2.9381°W |
Built from 1896 to 1899, this church was designed by Thomas and Percy Worthington. They also designed the library, vestry, and church hall next to it. The buildings are made of red brick with sandstone decorations in the Gothic style. The main entrance has three unique copper doors in the Arts and Crafts style. The stained glass was designed by Edward Burne-Jones. | |
| Ancient Chapel of Toxteth | Toxteth, Liverpool 53°22′53″N 2°57′29″W / 53.3813°N 2.9580°W |
First built between 1604 and 1618, this chapel was mostly rebuilt in 1774. The porch was added in 1841. It's a simple stone building with a slate roof and a small bell tower. All the seats inside are "box pews," which are like small enclosed boxes. One of them is dated 1650! There are also galleries on three sides. | |
| St John the Baptist | Tuebrook, Liverpool 53°25′29″N 2°55′48″W / 53.4248°N 2.9301°W |
This church was built from 1867 to 1870, designed by G. F. Bodley. He also designed the furniture and decorations inside. The outside of the church uses different colored stones in stripes. The stained glass windows were designed by Edward Burne-Jones. Inside, there are painted panels by C. E. Kempe. |
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