St Chad's Church, Kirkby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Chad's Church, Kirkby |
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St Chad's Church, Kirkby, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | SJ 408,990 |
| Location | Old Hall Lane, Kirkby, Knowsley, Merseyside |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Chad, Kirkby |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Chad |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 20 June 1975 |
| Architect(s) | Paley and Austin |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman Revival, Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1869 |
| Completed | 1871 |
| Construction cost | £20,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, tiled roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Chad, Kirkby |
| Deanery | Huyton |
| Archdeaconry | Liverpool |
| Diocese | Liverpool |
| Province | York |
St Chad's Church is a historic church located on Old Hall Lane in Kirkby, Merseyside, England. It is an active Anglican church, meaning it belongs to the Church of England. This church serves as a local parish church, which is a church that looks after the spiritual needs of people in a specific area. St Chad's is part of the larger Diocese of Liverpool. It is also a very important building, listed as a Grade II* listed building, which means it has special historical or architectural importance.
Contents
History of St Chad's Church
The history of St Chad's Church goes back a very long time, even before the Norman conquest in 1066. Records from the Domesday Book show that a church already stood on this spot.
Building the Current Church
The original church was replaced in 1766 by a new building in the Georgian style. However, this building was also replaced by the church you see today. The current St Chad's Church was built between 1869 and 1871. It was designed by famous architects Paley and Austin from Lancaster.
The building project was quite expensive. It was first estimated to cost £10,000, but the final cost rose to £12,000. This money was paid for by the 4th Earl of Sefton. The church was built to hold 650 people. The stone used to build the church came from the Earl's own quarries.
Architecture of St Chad's Church
St Chad's Church is built from red sandstone and has tiled roofs. Its design mixes elements from two old styles: Norman and Gothic architecture.
Outside the Church
The church has a long main area called a nave with a row of windows high up, known as a clerestory. There are also side sections called aisles, and porches on both the north and south sides. The chancel, which is the area around the altar, is short. There's a space for the organ on the north side and a small chapel on the south.
A tall tower stands where the nave and chancel meet, which is called the crossing. This tower has three levels and a special roof shaped like a saddle, called a saddleback roof. At one corner of the tower, there's a round staircase tower with a pointed slate roof. Most of the windows in the church are tall and narrow, known as lancet windows. The main entrances are in the Norman style, with the south doorway being very beautifully carved.
Inside the Church
Inside St Chad's, you'll see rows of arches called arcades. These arches are pointed and rest on columns with Corinthian capitals (the decorated tops of the columns). The columns on the north side are eight-sided, while those on the south side are round.
The font, used for baptisms, is very old, from the early Norman period. It is carved with figures, including Adam and Eve and Saint Michael fighting a serpent. This font is believed to be the oldest man-made item in Kirkby. On the east wall, there's a beautiful artwork from 1898 called an opus sectile reredos, which shows the Last Supper. The chancel also has a special seating area called a sedilia with carvings above it. Many of the colorful stained-glass windows were designed by Henry Holiday and were made between 1871 and 1897.
Churchyard Features
The churchyard around St Chad's Church is also important. It contains the war graves of two soldiers: one from World War I and another from World War II.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Merseyside
- Listed buildings in Kirkby
- List of ecclesiastical works by Paley and Austin
