St Chad's Church, Holt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Chad's Church, Holt |
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| OS grid reference | SJ 412,541 |
| Location | Holt, Wrexham County Borough |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St Chad |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Architect(s) | Ewan Christian, John Douglas |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 13th century (?) |
| Completed | 1873 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red sandstone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Holt |
| Deanery | Gresford |
| Archdeaconry | Wrexham |
| Diocese | St Asaph |
| Province | Church in Wales |
St Chad's Church, Holt, is a historic church in the village of Holt, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It stands proudly overlooking the River Dee and the border between Wales and England. This church is still active today and belongs to the Anglican faith. It is part of the diocese of St Asaph and is considered a very important building. Cadw, a Welsh government body, has given it a Grade I listed building status. This means it's a building of special architectural or historic interest.
Contents
A Look at History
The first time St Chad's Church was mentioned in official records was in 1379. However, experts believe it was first built much earlier, around the 1280s. Over the years, parts were added to the church. It was also updated in the late 1400s, thanks to the support of Sir William Stanley.
Civil War Damage and Repairs
During the English Civil War in the 1600s, the church was damaged. Soldiers fighting for Parliament, called Roundheads, used the church. You can still see bullet marks from that time inside the building. In 1732, the church was fixed up again. During this work, some old features like the rood loft and screens were removed.
Major Restoration Work
More big repairs happened between 1871 and 1873. This project was funded by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. A famous architect named Ewan Christian worked on the chancel, which is the area around the altar. Another architect, John Douglas, was in charge of the rest of the church.
During this restoration, old white paint was removed from the inside walls. New arched ceilings were added under the tower. They also put in new oak screens between the chancel and the chapels. The seating in the choir and the main part of the church was replaced. Many old memorials were moved, and the decorative stone patterns in the windows were redone.
Later Updates
In 1896, the church bells were rehung. A weather vane was placed on the tower in 1897. The church clock was replaced with a new one in 1902. Later, in 1960, the heating and lighting systems were improved. In 1963, more restoration work was done on the tower. The roof was also repaired and recovered.
Church Design and Features
St Chad's Church is built from beautiful red sandstone. Its design includes a large main area called a nave with five sections. It also has a two-section chancel at the east end. There are side areas called north and south aisles. The south aisle is wider than the north one.
Exterior Details
The west end of the south aisle is used as a baptistry, where baptisms take place. At the south end of the church is a Lady Chapel, a special area for prayer. The organ is located at the east end of the north aisle, next to another chapel. The arches in the nave are in the Decorated Gothic style. The tower is also Decorated style, but from a slightly later period. Most of the rest of the church is in the Perpendicular Gothic style.
The tower has four levels and a battlemented top edge. The roof is flat, with a weather vane on the north side. A flagpole stands in the center of the roof. You can see gargoyles at the corners of the tower. There are strong supports called buttresses on the southwest, northwest, and north sides. A small stair turret is on the south side.
Inside the Church
The font, used for baptisms, dates back to around 1493. It has detailed carvings, including symbols related to the Bromfield lordship. In the aisle south of the chancel, there's a piscina from the Decorated period. A piscina is a stone basin used for washing sacred vessels. This one was moved from another part of the church.
A memorial plate in the north chancel aisle is dated 1666. The church organ has two keyboards and was built in 1910 by Norman and Beard. It was moved from another church and reinstalled in 1976. The church has a set of six bells. All of them were made in the 1700s by Rudhall of Gloucester.
You can still see clear signs of the Civil War inside the church. The west wall has many holes from musket balls. The north door has three plugged holes, which were made for firing rifles. There's also a brass memorial tablet for Thomas Crue, who died in 1666. It includes a special poem about his name.
Churchyard Features
The churchyard is the area around the church. It contains the war graves of four British soldiers. These soldiers died during World War I.
See also
