Holy Trinity Church, Wavertree facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Holy Trinity Church, Wavertree
Holy Trinity Church, Wavertree, from the northwest
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OS grid reference	SJ 392 890
Location	Church Road, Wavertree, Liverpool, Merseyside L15 9EQ
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Traditional Church or England
Website	Holy Trinity, Wavertree
History
Status	Parish church
Consecrated	5 August 1794
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	28 June 1952
Architect(s)	John Hope, Charles Reilly
Architectural type	Church
Style	Georgian, Neoclassical
Groundbreaking	1794
Completed	1911
Specifications
Materials	Stone, slate roof
Administration
Parish	Holy Trinity, Wavertree
Deanery	Toxteth and Wavertree
Archdeaconry	Liverpool
Diocese	Liverpool
Province	York

Holy Trinity Church is a special church located on Church Road in Wavertree, Liverpool, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, meaning it serves the local community. The church is part of the diocese of Liverpool.

This church is listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is a very important historical building. A famous writer named John Betjeman once called it "Liverpool's best Georgian church."

History of Holy Trinity Church

Holy Trinity Church was built in 1794. It was designed by an architect named John Hope. At first, it was a "chapel of ease." This meant it was a smaller church built to help people who lived far from the main parish church.

The church was officially opened on 5 August 1794. This ceremony was led by Bishop William Cleaver. In 1867, Holy Trinity became its own separate parish church.

In 1911, the church was updated by Charles Herbert Reilly. He rebuilt the east end of the church. He added a new section and a rounded space called an apse, which created the chancel (the area around the altar). During this time, some parts of the church, like the side galleries, were removed. A special area for baptisms was also created at the bottom of the tower.

Later, in the 1950s, the top parts of the church tower were removed because they were not stable. The church also had to be repaired after serious fires in 1961 and 1971.

Architecture and Design

Exterior Features

The church is made of stone and has a slate roof. The main part of the church is built in the Georgian style. The east end, which was rebuilt later, is in the Neoclassical style.

The church has a long main hall called a nave with five sections. It also has a rounded chancel at the east end and a tower at the west end. The tower has a window on the west side, which used to be a door. Above this window, there is a round window and decorative panels. Near the top of the tower, you can see diamond-shaped clock faces on all sides.

Along the sides of the church, there are windows arranged in two rows. The lower windows have curved tops, and the larger upper windows have round tops. The tower has large supports that look like tall, thin pillars called buttresses.

Interior Features

Inside the church, there is a gallery at the west end. This gallery is supported by iron columns that look like four-leaf clovers. The ceiling of the nave is flat and has a decorative rose shape in the middle. The baptism area has a dome-shaped ceiling. The chancel has a vaulted ceiling, which means it has an arched roof.

In the chancel, there are large decorative columns called pilasters. These columns create side areas, including a vestry (a room for clergy) and a space for the organ. Above the entrances to these areas, there are decorative triangular shapes called pediments topped with urns.

The baptismal font is made of marble and has a shallow bowl. The pulpit (where sermons are given) is square and decorated with panels. The lectern (where readings are given) has a base that looks like a fluted Greek Doric column. All these items are in the Neoclassical style. The church's pipe organ was built in 1972 by J. W. Walker.

Outside the Church

War memorial

In the churchyard, there is a war memorial built around 1920. It is made of Portland stone and was designed by H. Tyson Smith. The memorial has a tall, rectangular shape with short cross arms. On either side, there are female figures dressed in classic robes, holding laurel leaves. They stand on a pyramid-shaped base.

The front of the memorial has a panel with an inscription. On the back, there is a carved image of a pelican feeding its young. This memorial is also a Grade II* listed building. The churchyard also has the graves of 11 British service members from World War I and 17 from World War II. These graves are cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Merseyside