St Alban's Church, Tattenhall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Alban's Church, Tattenhall |
|
|---|---|
St Alban's Church, Tattenhall, from the south
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| OS grid reference | SJ 486,585 |
| Location | Tattenhall, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Tattenhall, St Alban |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Alban |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 1 March 1967 |
| Architect(s) | John Douglas |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Ashlar red sandstone Green slate roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Tattenhall |
| Deanery | Malpas |
| Archdeaconry | Chester |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
St Alban's Church is a beautiful old church located in the village of Tattenhall, Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican church, which means it is part of the Church of England. This church is very important because it is listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This special listing means it is a historically important building.
Contents
History of St Alban's Church
It is believed that a church might have stood on this very spot even before the Normans arrived in England in 1066. The oldest parts of the current church, like its tower, were built in the early 1500s.
The church was greatly changed and made new between 1869 and 1870. This work was done by an architect named John Douglas. During these changes, workers found parts of an even older church that had been destroyed by fire. They also found a large skeleton outside the north wall and a coffin with bones under the church floor.
Church Architecture and Design
Outside the Church: Materials and Features
St Alban's Church is built from red sandstone that has been carefully cut and shaped. Its roof is made of green slate. The church has a main area called the nave, which has four sections. On either side of the nave are long hallways called aisles. There is also a special area for the altar, known as the chancel, which has two sections.
The church has a tall tower on its west side with three levels. At the bottom of the tower is a door, and above it is a window with three parts. On each side of this window are carved stone tablets with shields and letters. No one knows for sure what these carvings mean.
Higher up the tower, there are windows for the bells. Above these windows, you can see a decorative stone band with gargoyles. Gargoyles are carved stone figures, often shaped like animals or monsters, that usually help drain water from the roof. The very top of the tower has a battlement, which looks like the top of a castle wall.
The church also has a porch on its south side. The original porch from 1672 was replaced in 1893 with one made of wood and plaster.
Inside the Church: Windows and Bells
Inside St Alban's Church, you can see a beautiful brass chandelier that dates back to 1755. On the south wall of the chancel, there is a stained glass window. This window contains some very old glass from the Middle Ages. It shows pictures of St Alban and St Stephen, along with the coat of arms of the Touchet family.
In the south aisle, there is another stained glass window made by an artist named Kempe in 1896. The large stained glass window at the east end of the church was made by Hardman around 1870. The stained glass in the west window, from about the same time, was created by Lavers and Westlake.
The church has a set of six bells that can be rung. Three of these bells are very old, made in 1596 by Henry Oldfield II. Two more bells were made in 1710 by Gabriel Smith. The newest bell was made in 1904 by John Taylor and Company. The church also keeps old records, with parish registers starting in 1654 and churchwardens' accounts from 1764.
Churchyard Features
In the churchyard, which is the area around the church, there is an old sundial. This sundial is made of light-colored sandstone and was first built in the 1700s. It was repaired in the 1900s and is also listed as a Grade II historic item. The churchyard is also a special place because it contains the graves of soldiers who died in World War I and World War II.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire West and Chester
- Listed buildings in Tattenhall
- List of church restorations, amendments and furniture by John Douglas
