St Barnabas' Church, Bromborough facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Barnabas's Church, Bromborough
St Barnabas' Church, Bromborough, from the southeast
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OS grid reference	SJ 349 823
Location	Bromborough, Wirral, Merseyside
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Barnabas, Bromborough
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Barnabas
Dedicated	27 October 1864
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	27 December 1962
Architect(s)	Sir George Gilbert Scott
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Completed	1864
Specifications
Materials	Stone with slate roof
Administration
Parish	Bromborough
Deanery	Wirral South
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St Barnabas' Church is located in the town of Bromborough, which is part of Wirral in Merseyside, England. This church is a very important building. It is listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is a particularly important building of more than special interest. The church is also found within the Bromborough Village Conservation Area, which is a special place protected for its history and beauty.

St Barnabas' is an active Anglican parish church. This means it is a church that serves a local community and is part of the Church of England. Experts who wrote the Buildings of England books have called it a "handsome church." It is also known as a great example of the work of a famous architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott. In the churchyard, you can find three old Anglo-Saxon carved stones. These stones have been put back together to create a cross.

History of St Barnabas' Church

The very first church on this site was built a long time ago, in the year 928. It was next to a monastery that was started in 912, probably by a queen named Ethelfleda.

Building the Current Church

The first church was taken down in 1828. A new church was built in its place. Then, that church was also replaced by the building you see today. The current church was built between 1862 and 1864. It was designed to be large because many new, big houses were being built in Bromborough at that time. The famous architect Sir George Gilbert Scott designed this church.

Church Design and Features

St Barnabas' Church is made from local red sandstone, which is a type of rock. Its roof is covered with slate.

Outside the Church

The church has a main area called a nave with high windows (a clerestory). It also has side sections called aisles on the north and south. There is a special area for the altar called a chancel with a rounded end called a semicircular apse. You can also find a south vestry (a room for clergy) and a tower on the northeast side. This tower has a pointed roof called a broach spire. The church is built in the Early English style, which is a type of Gothic design.

Inside the Church

Inside the church, the area around the altar has decorative arches called trefoil blind arcading. The reredos, which is a screen behind the altar, shows a sculpted picture of The Last Supper. The font, where baptisms take place, and the pulpit, where sermons are given, are both shaped like an octagon. The wooden screens and seating areas were added in 1900.

Most of the beautiful coloured glass windows, known as stained glass, were made by a company called Clayton and Bell. The large window at the east end of the church was made by Ballantyne and Son. The church has a large organ with three keyboards, built around 1923 by Rushworth and Dreaper from Liverpool. There are also eight bells in the tower. All of these bells were made in 1880 by John Taylor and Company.

Special Features Outside

Cross in the churchyard

In the churchyard, there are three pieces of stone that might be from the 10th century. These pieces have been put back together to look like a Celtic cross. The Bromborough Society put them back together in 1958. This cross is also a listed building, given a Grade II rating.

Sundial in the churchyard

You can also find a stone sundial in the churchyard. It is dated 1730 and might have been made from an older cross from the 1400s. It has two square steps, a tall, thin middle part, and a square top. This sundial is also listed as a Grade II building.

There are also four war graves in the churchyard. These graves belong to service members, one from World War I and three from World War II.

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Merseyside
• List of new churches by George Gilbert Scott in Northern England
• Listed buildings in Bromborough