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 a beautiful old church located in the village of Church Minshull, Cheshire, England. It's a very important building, officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a special historical place that needs to be protected. The church is still active today, serving as an Anglican parish church. It's part of the diocese of Chester, which is like a local church district.
Contents
History of St Bartholomew's Church
It's thought that a very old Saxon church might have stood on this spot long ago. In 1541, a new church was built using timber (wood). By 1572, this church had many coats of arms from local noble families. These were either in the stained glass windows or painted on the walls.
In 1667, a big storm damaged the church's roof and one of its walls. The church tower later started to fall apart. It was rebuilt in 1702. The rest of the church was also in bad shape, so it was rebuilt in 1720. A clock was added to the tower in 1722.
The church had fires in 1798 and 1804. This led to a big repair project in 1861. More fires happened in 1874 and 1885. In 1891, the church was restored again by an architect named Walter Boden.
Over time, changes inside the church had made its structure weak. In 2000, it was declared unsafe. A major repair of the roof happened in 2002. In 2007, the tower roof was fixed, and its top edge was rebuilt. More recently, in 2012, a kitchen, a new heating system, and updated toilets were added.
Architecture and Design
Outside the Church
The church is built from brick with special stone decorations. It's believed that the stone pillars inside the church came from an even older building. The bricks for the outside walls were made locally. The stone corners and decorative tops were made from stone found near Macclesfield.
The church has a main area called a nave with a choir section. At the east end, there's a small rounded area called an apse. The tower, built in a Neoclassical style, is at the west end. The year 1702 is written on the tower in shiny bricks, next to the clock. The tower has two round windows on its west side. On the south side, there's a clock, and on the other sides, there are round stained glass windows. Above these are windows with slats that let sound out from the bells. At the very top of the tower, there's a decorative edge and a low wall with stone balls on the corners.
The church also has round windows above its north and south doors. The windows in the nave and chancel (the area around the altar) are also round. Above these windows, there's another decorative edge and a solid brick wall. This wall has stone pillars with ball tops above each window on the south side. On the outside of the east wall, there's a 17th-century slate memorial with a coat of arms.
Inside the Church
At the west end of the church, there's a gallery, which is like a balcony. This was probably added in 1861. The main part of the church has box pews, which are like enclosed seating areas.
You can find memorials to the Brooke family on the north wall. In the southeast corner, there's a panel with the arms of the Cholmondeley family, painted by Randle Holme. On the east wall of the north aisle, there's a tablet listing members of the Cholmondeley family who were buried in a vault (an underground burial chamber). The Wade family also has a vault at the bottom of the tower.
The font, used for baptisms, was made in 1717. It's in a classical style and painted cream. On each side of the east window, there are panels showing the Ten Commandments and prayers. The church also has memorials dedicated to past priests. There are also marble war memorials from after World War I and World War II.
The church has a set of six bells. Four of these bells were made by Rudhall of Gloucester. Three of them are from 1717, and the fourth is from 1768. A cracked bell, also from 1717, is kept inside the church. The other two bells were made in 1982 and 1983 by Petit & Fritsen. The church's parish registers, which record births, deaths, and marriages, go all the way back to 1561. The churchwardens' accounts, which track church finances, start from 1623.
Churchyard Features
The gates and the stone pillars next to them are also important historical features. They are made of cast iron gates hanging on sandstone pillars. In the churchyard, there is also a war grave for a marine who died in World War I.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire East
- Listed buildings in Church Minshull
