St Bartholomew's Church, Thurstaston facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Bartholomew's Church, Thurstaston
St Bartholomew's Church, Thurstaston
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OS grid reference	SJ 247,841
Location	Thurstaston, Wirral, Merseyside
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Bartholomew, Thurstaston
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Bartholomew
Consecrated	1886
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	15 November 1962
Architect(s)	John Loughborough Pearson
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Completed	1885
Specifications
Materials	Red sandstone with a tiled roof
Administration
Parish	Thurstaston
Deanery	Wirral North
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St Bartholomew's Church is a beautiful old church located in the village of Thurstaston. This village is on the Wirral Peninsula in Merseyside, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, meaning people still go there for worship today. The church is part of the diocese of Chester. It is also a very important historical building, listed as Grade II*. This means it is a special building that needs to be protected.

History of the Church

The first time a church was mentioned on this spot was around the year 1125. Some clues even suggest there might have been a church here much earlier, during the Anglo-Saxon period. In 1724, the old Norman church was described as being "very small, low, and dark." This church was taken down in 1820. A new church was then built and finished in 1824. However, this 1824 church was also later taken down, though its tower still stands today. The current church was designed by a famous architect named J. Loughborough Pearson. It was officially opened in 1886. In 1900, a special gate called a lychgate was built at the church entrance. It was put there to remember Thomas Henry Ismay, who founded the White Star Line.

Church Design and Features

Outside the Church

The church is built using red sandstone, which is a type of rock. It has a roof made of tiles. The church's layout includes a main area called a nave, which has three sections. It also has a chancel, which is the part of the church near the altar. This chancel is divided into a choir area and a sanctuary. There is also a small room called a vestry on the south side. Above the choir area, there is a tower with a tall, pointed top called a broach spire. The west end of the church has strong supports called buttresses and a tall window with three sections. On the north and south sides of the nave, there are three windows, each with three sections. The tower has openings for bells that are covered with louvred panels. At the corners of the tower, there are simple pointed decorations called pinnacles. The spire has small, louvred windows called lucarnes. To the southwest of the tower, there is a round turret with a cone-shaped roof. The east window has five sections.

Inside the Church

Experts who wrote the Buildings of England series describe the inside of the church as "superb." They especially liked how it feels richer and more detailed as you move towards the front. There are arches at the entrance to the chancel and the sanctuary. The reredos, which is a screen behind the altar, is made of alabaster. It shows a carving of the Resurrection and is surrounded by angels in small spaces called niches. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is also made of alabaster and has decorative cut-out panels. The font, used for baptisms, is shaped like an octagon. It is made of Mexican onyx and has shafts of Blue John and steps of colored marble. A sedilia, which is a set of seats for priests, is on the south wall of the chancel. The church also has a "dole cupboard" from 1723, which was used to store food for the poor. The case for the organ was designed in 1905 by Norman Shaw. Its panels were painted by Robert Christie. Some of the beautiful stained glass windows were made by Clayton and Bell. Above the door, you can see the coat of arms of Queen Anne. On the west wall, there are white marble tablets remembering members of the Whitmore and Glegg families. The organ has two manuals (keyboards) and was built by Henry Willis & Sons in 1905. It was designed by Dr A. L. Peace. The organ was rebuilt in 1963 and later changed in 1985 and 1994. The church has a ring of six bells. All of them were made by John Taylor & Co. Five bells are from 1886, and the sixth was added in 2002.

Features Outside the Churchyard

Near the church, you can see the tower of the previous church, which was built in 1824. It has three levels and a top edge with square shapes called an embattled parapet. This tower is also a Grade II listed building. In the churchyard, there is a stone sundial from 1844, which is also listed as Grade II. You can also find a 17th-century stone font with an octagonal bowl and a round base. An ancient stone coffin lid of a child is also in the churchyard. The churchyard also contains the war graves of soldiers and airmen who died in World War I and World War II. The tomb of Thomas Henry Ismay (1837–99), who founded the White Star Line, is located close to the old tower. It was designed by Richard Norman Shaw.

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Merseyside
• List of new ecclesiastical buildings by J. L. Pearson
• Listed buildings in Thurstaston