St Bartholomew's Church, Church Minshull facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Bartholomew's Church,Church Minshull |
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Tower and west end of St Bartholomew's Church, Church Minshull
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| OS grid reference | SJ 666 606 |
| Location | Church Minshull, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Bartholomew, Church Minshull |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Bartholomew |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 12 January 1967 |
| Architect(s) | Walter Boden |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Neoclassical |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick with stone dressings Slate roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Church Minshull |
| Deanery | Nantwich |
| Archdeaconry | Macclesfield |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
St Bartholomew's Church is located in the small village of Church Minshull, Cheshire, England. It is a very important building, listed as a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a special historic place. The church is an active Anglican parish church, which means it is a local church for the community. It is part of the diocese of Chester.
Contents
History of St Bartholomew's Church
It is thought that a very old Saxon church might have stood on this spot first. In 1541, a new church was built using wood. By 1572, this wooden church had at least 50 family crests inside. These crests belonged to important local families. They were either in the stained glass windows or painted on the walls.
Challenges and Rebuilding Efforts
In 1667, a big storm damaged the church's roof and its west wall. Early in the 1700s, the church tower partly fell down. It was rebuilt in 1702. The rest of the church was still in bad shape, so it was rebuilt again in 1720. A clock was added to the tower in 1722.
Fires broke out in the church in 1798 and 1804. This led to a major repair project in 1861. More fires happened in 1874 and 1885. In 1891, the church was repaired again by an architect named Walter Boden.
Modern Repairs and Updates
Over time, changes inside the church had made its structure weak. In 2000, it was declared unsafe. A big project to fix the roof happened in 2002. In 2007, the tower roof was repaired, and its top edge was rebuilt. In 2012, the church added a kitchen, a new heating system, and updated toilets.
Architecture and Design
The church is built from brick with special stone decorations. It is believed that the stone pillars inside the church came from an older building. The outside walls are made of bricks from the local area. The corner stones and top decorations are from a quarry near Macclesfield.
Outside Features
The church has a main area called a nave with a choir section. At the east end, there is a rounded area called an apse. The tower, built in a neoclassical style, is at the west end. The year 1702 is shown in shiny bricks on the tower, next to the clock face. The tower has two round windows on its west side. On the south side, there is a clock. The other sides have round stained glass windows. Above these are windows with slats for the bells. At the very top of the tower, there is a decorative edge and a low wall with ball-shaped decorations at the corners.
The north and south doors have round windows above them. The windows in the nave and chancel (the area around the altar) are also round. Above these windows, there is a decorative edge and a solid red brick wall. This wall has ball-shaped pillars above each window on the south side. On the outside of the east wall, there is a 17th-century slate memorial with a family crest.
Inside the Church
At the west end of the church, there is a gallery, which is like a balcony. It was likely added in 1861. The main part of the church has box pews, which are pews with high sides. There are memorials to the Brooke family on the north wall. In the southeast corner, there is a panel with the family crest of the Cholmondeley family, painted by Randle Holme.
On the east wall of the north aisle, there is a stone tablet. It lists members of the Cholmondeley family who were buried in a vault (an underground burial chamber). At the bottom of the tower, there is a vault for the Wade family.
Special Items Inside
The font, used for baptisms, is from 1717. It is in a classical style and painted cream. It was made by John Morfitt. In the apse, on each side of the east window, there are panels with the Ten Commandments and prayers. The church also has memorials for past vicars. The marble war memorials remember those who served in the two World Wars.
The church has a set of six bells. Four of these bells were made by Rudhall of Gloucester. Three are from 1717, and one is from 1768. A cracked bell from 1717 is kept inside the church. The other two bells, from 1982 and 1983, were made by Petit & Fritsen. The church's official records, called parish registers, go back to 1561. Records from the churchwardens (church officials) start in 1623.
Outside the Church Grounds
The gates and the stone posts next to them are also important historic items, listed at Grade II. They are made of cast iron and hang on sandstone posts. The churchyard also contains the war grave of a marine who died in World War I.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire East
- Listed buildings in Church Minshull
