St Bridget's Church, West Kirby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Bridget's Church, West Kirby
St Bridget's Church, West Kirby, from the southeast
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OS grid reference	SJ 218 864
Location	West Kirby, Wirral, Merseyside
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Liberal Modern Catholic
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	5 June 1953
Architect(s)	Kelly and Edwards
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Completed	1876
Specifications
Materials	Stone, slate roof
Administration
Parish	West Kirby
Deanery	Wirral North
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St Bridget's Church is a historic church located in West Kirby, a town on the Wirral Peninsula in Merseyside, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, meaning it serves the local community for Christian worship. The church is officially recognized as a Grade II Listed building, which means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.

A Look at St Bridget's History

It's believed that a church stood on this spot even before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The first stone church was likely built around 1150–60. Over the centuries, the church was changed and rebuilt many times.

• Around 1320, the main part of the church where the altar is, called the chancel, was built.
• In 1493, a tall tower was added, and the north side of the church was made wider.
• By 1788, the church needed a lot of repairs because it was quite old.
• A big renovation happened in 1869–70, almost like rebuilding the whole church.
• A new entrance porch was added on the north side in 1876.

St Bridget's Today

Today, St Bridget's Church is part of the Church of England. It follows a "Liberal Modern Catholic" style, which means it has some traditional practices but is also open to modern ideas. The church is also a member of Inclusive Church, welcoming everyone.

Exploring the Church's Design

Outside the Church

St Bridget's Church is built from sandstone with a slate roof. It has a tall tower at the west end, a main hall called the nave, and side sections called aisles. The chancel, where the altar is, points slightly to the north.

• The tower has a main door and a large window above it.
• You can see bell openings and a clock face on the tower.
• The very top of the tower has a decorative wall with a golden weathervane from 1757.
• Look closely at the porch, and you might see carvings of Queen Victoria and a bishop.
• On the west side of the north aisle, there's a gargoyle (a carved stone figure) that looks like famous politicians Gladstone and Beaconsfield.

Inside the Church

The inside of St Bridget's has many interesting features:

• In the chancel, there are special seats called a sedilia and a small basin called a piscina.
• A beautiful wrought iron screen, made by artist Charles Eamer Kempe, separates the chancel from the nave. There's also a painting by Kempe above this screen.
• The round baptismal font (used for baptisms) is from the 1800s.
• The altar and the wooden screen behind it (called a reredos) were made from old wood that used to be part of the roof of Chester Cathedral.
• Many of the church's 23 windows were designed by Kempe, showing colorful stained glass scenes.
• You can find ancient stones inside, including one called the Hogback stone. It's from the early 1000s and got its name because it's shaped like a pig's back! This stone is made of a type of rock not found nearby, making it quite special.
• The church has a set of eight bells. Some are very old, dating back to 1719!
• The church's old records, called parish registers, go back to 1561, but some parts are missing.

Outside the Church Grounds

The churchyard is a peaceful place and includes the graves of eleven soldiers from the Commonwealth who died in World War I and World War II.

See also

• Listed buildings in Hoylake