St George's United Reformed Church, Thornton Hough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St George's Church, Thornton Hough |
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St George's Church, Thornton Hough
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 St George's Church, Thornton Hough
Location in Merseyside
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| 53°19′16″N 3°02′43″W / 53.3211°N 3.0454°W | |
| OS grid reference | SJ 305 810 |
| Location | Manor Road, Thornton Hough, Wirral, Merseyside |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | United Reformed Church |
| Website | St George, Thornton Hough |
| History | |
| Founder(s) | Lord Leverhulme |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 2 December 1986 |
| Architect(s) | J. Lomax-Simpson |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Neo-Norman |
| Groundbreaking | 1906 |
| Completed | 1907 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, stone-slate roofs |
St George's Church is a special building located on Manor Road in Thornton Hough, Wirral, Merseyside, England. It used to be a church for the United Reformed Church. However, it closed in July 2021 and is now owned by a private person.
This building is very important. It is listed in the National Heritage List for England as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a historic place that needs to be protected.
Contents
History of St George's Church
This beautiful church was designed by an architect named J. Lomax-Simpson. It was built between 1906 and 1907. The church was created for Lord Leverhulme, who was a very important person at the time.
The church's design is in a style called Neo-Norman. This style looks like old Norman buildings from hundreds of years ago. Lord Leverhulme chose this style because of his personal beliefs as a Nonconformist.
Exploring the Church's Design
Outside the Church
St George's Church is made from sandstone, which is a strong type of rock. Its roofs are covered with stone-slates. The church has a cross-shaped layout.
It includes a long main hall called a nave with five sections. There are also north and south transepts, which are the arms of the cross shape. At the east end is a chancel with a rounded end called an apse.
- All the windows are round at the top.
- Windows along the sides and at the west end have three sections of glass.
- Windows at the east end have two sections.
- The transept windows come in pairs, with a round window above them.
- At the west end, there are two porches with pointed roofs and round entrances.
The church has a tower right where the nave and transepts meet, called the crossing. This tower has strong corner supports called buttresses. In the bell area of the tower, there are openings for bells and decorative arches. The top of the tower has a decorative edge and a pyramid-shaped roof. There's also a smaller, eight-sided stair tower with its own pyramid roof.
Inside the Church
The inside of St George's Church is very fancy and detailed. A sculptor named Edward O. Griffith did much of the work. He carved the tops of the columns, called capitals, with scenes from the Bible.
- The altar has a decorative band called a frieze. It also has round designs and arches with marble columns.
- The wooden rail around the altar was carved by Hatch of Lancaster. Each of its columns is unique.
- Both the pulpit, where sermons are given, and the font, used for baptisms, are made from Caen stone. They are designed in the old Norman style.
- The pews, which are the church benches, have a special rope-like pattern carved into them.
The church also has beautiful stained glass. The glass in the apse windows was made in 1926 by Burlison and Grylls. Other windows on the south side have glass from 1907 by Hardman & Co. and from around 1919 by Heaton, Butler and Bayne. The church's large pipe organ was built in 1907 by Norman and Beard.
Outside the Church Grounds
At the southwest corner of the churchyard, there is a special covered entranceway. It has six sides and was also designed by J. Lomax-Simpson. It was built at the same time as the church, in 1906–07. It's made of sandstone with a stone-slate roof, just like the church.
This entranceway also has Neo-Norman details. Each side has a round-headed arch, with buttresses and two gargoyles (carved figures that look like monsters). It has a pyramid-shaped roof. Inside, the ceiling is a ribbed dome with a central carving of a dragon. This entranceway is also a Grade II listed building, meaning it's historically important.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Merseyside
- Listed buildings in Thornton Hough
