St Bartholomew's Church, Thurstaston facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Bartholomew's Church, Thurstaston
St Bartholomew's Church, Thurstaston
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
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 in the village of Thurstaston. This village is located on the Wirral Peninsula in Merseyside, England. It is an active Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England. It serves as a local parish church for the community. The church is very important historically. It is listed as a Grade II* listed building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is a particularly important building.

What is the History of St Bartholomew's Church?

People believe there was a church on this spot as early as Anglo-Saxon times. The first clear mention of a church here was around the year 1125.

How the Church Changed Over Time

In 1724, the old Norman church was described as small, low, and dark. It was taken down in 1820. A new church was then built and finished in 1824. This 1824 church was also later taken down, but its tower still stands today!

The current church was designed by a famous architect named John Loughborough Pearson. It was officially opened in 1886. A special gate, called a lychgate, was built in 1900. It was put there to remember Thomas Henry Ismay, who founded the White Star Line.

What Does St Bartholomew's Church Look Like?

The church is built from red sandstone and has a roof made of tiles. It has a main area called a nave, which is three sections long. There's also a chancel, which is divided into a choir area and a sanctuary. On the south side, there is a small room called a vestry.

Exterior Features of the Church

Above the choir area, there is a tall tower with a spire. The west end of the church has strong corner supports called buttresses. It also has 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 special openings for bells. These openings have louvred slats. Above this, there is a decorative edge called a cornice. There are also simple pointed decorations called pinnacles at the corners. The tower has a broach spire, which is a pyramid-shaped roof. This spire has small, louvred windows called lucarnes. To the southwest of the tower, there is a round turret with a cone-shaped roof. The window at the east end of the church has five sections.

Inside St Bartholomew's Church

Experts have called the inside of the church "superb." They especially like how it feels richer and more detailed as you move towards the front. There are grand arches at the entrance to the chancel and the sanctuary.

The reredos, which is a decorated screen behind the altar, is made of alabaster. It shows a carving of the Resurrection and is surrounded by angels in small niches. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is also made of alabaster. It has panels with patterns cut into them.

The font, used for baptisms, is shaped like an octagon. It is made from Mexican onyx and has columns of Blue John and steps of colored marble. On the south wall of the chancel, there is a special seat called a sedilia.

You can also see a "dole cupboard" from 1723 inside the church. This cupboard was likely used to store food for the poor. The case for the organ was designed in 1905 by Richard 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 royal arms of Queen Anne.

On the wall at the west end of the church, there are white marble tablets. These remember members of the Whitmore and Glegg families. The church's organ has two keyboards. It was built in 1905 by Henry Willis & Sons and designed by Dr A. L. Peace. The organ was rebuilt in 1963 and later updated in 1985 and 1994. The church also has a set of six bells. Five of these bells were made in 1886, and the sixth was added in 2002. All the bells were cast by John Taylor & Co.

What Other Features Are Around the Church?

Near the church, you can see the tower from the previous church, which dates back to 1824. This tower has three levels and a top edge with square shapes called a battlemented parapet. It is also a Grade II listed building.

In the churchyard, there is a stone sundial from 1844, which is also a Grade II listed building. You can also find a 17th-century stone font with an octagonal bowl and a rounded base. There is even an ancient stone coffin lid of a child.

The churchyard is also a resting place for soldiers. It contains the war graves of a World War I officer and three World War II service members. The tomb of Thomas Henry Ismay, the founder of the White Star Line, is close to the old tower. His tomb 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