St Cuthbert's Church, Halsall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Cuthbert's, Halsall |
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| OS grid reference | SD 37055 10292 |
| Location | Halsall, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Ormskirk |
| Archdeaconry | Warrington |
| Diocese | Liverpool |
| Province | York |
St Cuthbert's Church is an Anglican church located in Halsall, a small village in Lancashire, England. It's a busy parish church that belongs to the Diocese of Liverpool. The oldest parts of this church were built way back in the 1300s. Over the years, it has been changed and added to many times. St Cuthbert's is considered a very important building. It is listed as a Grade I building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's of "exceptional interest."
Contents
History of St Cuthbert's Church
The area served by St Cuthbert's Church was once much larger. It included the villages of Halsall, Lydiate, Downholland, Melling, and Maghull. The very oldest part of the church is the chancel, which is the area around the altar. This part was built in the early 14th century, which means the early 1300s.
Changes and Upgrades Over Time
The chancel of the church was repaired and updated in 1873. This work cost £2,000 and was done by architects named Paley and Austin from Lancaster. Later, in 1886, the same architects did even bigger work. They mostly rebuilt the main part of the church, called the nave, and the side sections, known as aisles. They also put on a new roof, added new seats, and rebuilt the south entrance porch. This larger project cost £7,000.
On September 23, 1950, St Cuthbert's Church was officially named a Grade I listed building. This is the highest level of protection for historic buildings in England. It means the church is considered "of exceptional interest," sometimes even important worldwide.
Church Administration and Notable People
St Cuthbert's is an active church within the Church of England. It is part of the Diocese of Liverpool, which is itself part of the Province of York. The church also belongs to the archdeaconry of Warrington and the deanery of Ormskirk.
An interesting fact about the church is that Arthur Vaughan Williams served there. He was the father of the famous composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. Arthur Vaughan Williams worked at St Cuthbert's before he became a vicar in 1868.
Architecture of St Cuthbert's
St Cuthbert's Church is built from squared sandstone blocks. Its roofs are made of stone slates. The church has a main area called the nave, with a tall tower at the west end. There are side sections, or aisles, on both the north and south sides. A porch is located on the south side. To the east is the chancel, and a small room called a vestry is north of the chancel. In the southwest corner, between the tower and the south aisle, there's a room that was once a grammar school.
Church Exterior Features
The church tower is about 126 feet (38 meters) tall. It has three main parts, or stages. The bottom part is square and has strong corner supports called buttresses. It has a flat-topped window with two sections and decorative stone patterns, known as tracery. The middle part of the tower is shaped like an octagon. It has flat-topped windows with two sections and wooden slats, called louvres, for the belfry (where the bells are).
On top of the tower is a stone spire that points upwards. This spire has small windows called lucarnes. Between the belfry and the spire, there's an octagonal parapet (a low wall). This parapet has four gargoyles, which are carved stone figures that often act as water spouts.
The roof of the nave has a flat parapet. The old grammar school building sticks out from the south side of the church. It has a crenellated parapet, which looks like the top of a castle wall. Its roof is gabled, meaning it has a triangular shape. Above the doorway of the grammar school, you can see the family crest of the Halsall family and a carving that says "E. H. 1593." The grammar school windows have two sections and pointed tops. The windows in the side aisles have flat tops and decorative stone patterns in the Perpendicular style. The large east window in the chancel has five sections with detailed tracery.
Church Interior and Fittings
Inside the church, a pointed arch separates the nave from the tower. Between the nave and the side aisles, there are rows of arches called arcades. These arcades have four sections, or bays. They are supported by eight-sided pillars, called piers, and have pointed arches with wavy decorative patterns, known as moulding. You can find a small basin, called a piscina, in the south wall of the south aisle, and another one in the north aisle.
The chancel, where the altar is, measures about 47 feet (14 meters) long and 20 feet 6 inches (6.2 meters) wide. It has three special seats for priests, called sedilia, and another piscina. These features are in the Decorated style of architecture. The three seats and the piscina were built in the 14th century. They all have arches with decorative five-leaf shapes called cinquefoils. There is also a decorative screen behind the altar, called a reredos, which was added in 1886 and painted by Shrigley and Hunt. The church also has beautiful Stained glass windows, some of which were made by Harry Harvey and Hardman & Co..
External Features of St Cuthbert's
In the churchyard, you can find some old grave slabs from the Middle Ages. These slabs were originally inside the church. There is also a sandstone sundial in the churchyard that dates back to 1725. Its base has two square steps, and it has a decorative pillar, called a baluster stem. The part that casts the shadow, called the gnomon, is probably newer. This sundial has been given a Grade II listing by English Heritage, meaning it is a building of special interest.
You can also see an eight-sided sandstone baptismal font in the churchyard. This font is from the 19th century and is used for baptisms. It has also received a Grade II listing, just like the sundial.
Many people have been buried at St Cuthbert's. Some notable people include Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell (1831–1906), who was a British Army officer and politician. The English footballer Billy Ayre (1952–2002) is also buried here. The churchyard also contains the war graves of four soldiers who died in World War I and two soldiers who died in World War II.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Lancashire
- Listed buildings in Halsall
- List of ecclesiastical works by Paley and Austin
