St Bridget's Church, West Kirby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Bridget's Church, West Kirby |
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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's an active Anglican church, meaning it belongs to the Church of England. It serves as a parish church for the local community. This beautiful building is considered important enough to be a Grade II listed building, which means it's protected for its special architectural or historical interest.
Contents
History of St Bridget's Church
It's thought that a church might have stood on this spot even before the Norman Conquest in 1066! The first stone church was built here a very long time ago, around the years 1150–1160.
Building Changes Over Time
Over the centuries, the church has been changed and rebuilt many times.
- In the 13th century, parts of the church were altered or completely rebuilt.
- Around 1320, the main area near the altar, called the chancel, was built. After that, a north chapel and a small room for clergy, called a vestry, were added.
- In 1493, the church tower was built, and the north aisle (a side section of the church) was made wider.
- By 1788, the church was in poor condition, so repairs were carried out.
- A very big renovation, known as a Victorian restoration, happened in 1869–1870. This was almost like rebuilding the entire church.
- A new entrance porch on the north side was added in 1876.
St Bridget's Church Today
Today, St Bridget's Church follows a "moderate catholic" or "Liberal Modern Catholic" style within the Church of England. This means it has some traditions similar to the Catholic Church, but it is still part of the Anglican faith. The church is also a member of Inclusive Church, which means it welcomes everyone.
Architecture of the Church Building
St Bridget's Church is built from sandstone and has a slate roof.
Outside the Church
The church has a tower at the west end, a main hall called a nave, and side sections called north and south aisles. It also has a chancel, a north chapel, and a vestry. The chancel is not perfectly straight with the nave; it leans slightly to the north.
The tower has a main door on the west side. Above this door is a large window with three sections, built in a style called Perpendicular Gothic. The openings for the bells are in pairs, and there's a clock face on the east side of the tower. The top of the tower is embattled, meaning it has a pattern like the top of a castle wall, and it has a shiny weathervane from 1757.
The porch has decorative carvings called "head-stops" that look like Queen Victoria and Bishop William Jacobson. At the west end of the north aisle, you can see a gargoyle (a carved stone figure) that looks like two famous historical figures, Gladstone and Disraeli.
Inside the Church
Inside the chancel, on the south wall, there are special seats called a sedilia and a basin for washing sacred vessels called a piscina. The arch leading into the chancel has a low screen made of wrought iron by an artist named Charles Eamer Kempe. Above this arch, there's also a painting by Kempe.
The round baptismal font (where baptisms take place) is from the 19th century. The altar and the wooden screen behind it, called a reredos, are made from wood that used to be part of the roof of Chester Cathedral. The area for the organ, called the organ loft, was designed by Douglas and Fordham. The organ itself was built in 1893 by Henry Willis & Sons and later improved by the same company in 1950.
The large east window in the chancel is from 1833. Many of the other windows in the church, 19 out of 23, were made by Charles Eamer Kempe between 1870 and 1907.
You can also find several very old stones inside the church. One of these is known as the Hogback stone. It dates back to the early 11th century. It's called "Hogback" because of its curved shape, which looks a bit like a hog's back. This stone is made of a hard grey sandstone that isn't found locally, so it must have been brought from somewhere else.
The church has a ring of eight bells. Four of these bells were made in 1719 by Abraham Rudhall II. One bell from 1854 was made by Bathgate & Wilson, and the other three, from 1889, were made by John Taylor & Co.
The church keeps parish registers, which are records of baptisms, marriages, and burials. These records go back to 1561, though some parts are missing. The accounts kept by the churchwardens (people who help manage the church) started in 1754.
External Features of the Churchyard
The churchyard, which is the area around the church, contains the war graves of eleven service members from the Commonwealth. Nine of these are from World War I and two are from World War II. These graves honor those who died serving their country.
See also
- Listed buildings in Hoylake
