St Helen Witton Church, Northwich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Helen Witton Church, Northwich |
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St Helen Witton Church, Northwich, from the east
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| OS grid reference | SJ 665 739 |
| Location | Northwich, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Central |
| Website | St Helen, Witton |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Helen |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 24 March 1950 |
| Architect(s) | Paley and Austin (1883–86 additions and alterations) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red sandstone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Witton, otherwise Northwich, St Helen |
| Deanery | Middlewich |
| Archdeaconry | Chester |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
St Helen Witton Church is a historic church located right in the middle of Northwich, Cheshire, England. It's a very important building, listed as a Grade I building on the National Heritage List for England. Today, it's often called "St Helen's, Witton" or "Northwich Parish Church." This church is still actively used for worship as an Anglican parish church. It's considered one of the 'best' English parish churches by experts like Alec Clifton-Taylor.
Contents
History of St Helen Witton Church
Early Beginnings and Growth
The church started as a small "chapel of ease." This means it was a smaller church built for people who lived far from the main parish church, which in this case was St Mary and All Saints' Church, Great Budworth. The area was known as Witton back then.
The oldest parts of the building you see today date back to the 14th century (the 1300s). Over the years, more sections were added in the 15th, 16th, and 19th centuries. By the mid-1300s, a church stood on this spot. It was about the same length as the current building. It had transepts (parts that stick out like arms from the main body of the church) but no aisles (passageways on the sides) or a clerestory (an upper level with windows).
Changes Over the Centuries
The church slowly grew and changed into what it is today. In the 15th century, narrower north and south aisles were added. Around 1498, the tower was built or rebuilt. A stonemason named Thomas Hunter, who also worked on Norton Priory, is linked to this work. A porch was also added around this time, similar to the one you see now.
Between 1536 and 1549, the aisles were rebuilt and made wider. This brought what was once a side chapel, now called the Lady Chapel, into the main part of the church. The nave (the main central part of the church where people sit) was also widened later. A clerestory was added by 1550, which brought more light into the church. The roof over the nave was likely put in around this time. Later, the chancel (the area around the altar) was also widened to match the nave. Around 1624, the chancel was given a battlement (a wall with gaps, like on a castle).
18th and 19th Century Renovations
In the 1700s, wooden galleries (like balconies) were added inside the church on three sides. An organ and its gallery were also installed in 1767.
A big renovation, known as a Victorian restoration, happened in 1841. This involved moving the pulpit, changing the steps to the chancel, and fixing the roof. A grand west door was also created. Later, in 1861–62, a large crack in the chancel meant it had to be rebuilt. The three large stained glass windows behind the altar were put in at this time.
More work was done between 1883 and 1886 by architects Paley and Austin. The narrow north aisle was widened to match the south aisle. A large new room for the clergy (a vestry) was added, and a special area for baptisms (a baptistry) was created inside the church. The whole church floor was also redone.
By the 1890s, the church looked much like it does now. It officially became a parish church on August 7, 1900.
Architecture of St Helen Witton Church
Outside the Church
The church is built from red sandstone. Its roofs are quite flat and hidden by parapets (low walls). The church has a tower at the west end. The main part, the nave, has six bays (sections) with aisles on the north and south sides. There's a chancel with a rounded east end, a vestry to the north, and a porch on the south side.
The tower has four levels and is crenellated (has battlements). It has strong diagonal buttresses (supports) and a west door. Above the door is a large window. There are also windows for the bellringers, a clock on all sides, and openings for the bells.
Inside the Church
Above the nave and chancel, there's a continuous oak ceiling. It has a pattern of beams and panels with large, carved bosses (decorative carvings) where the main beams meet. There aren't many old memorials inside, as most of the original fittings were removed during the 19th-century renovations. However, a 17th-century altar table is still there.
The church has a large three-manual organ. It was built between 1870 and 1880 by Young and Son and later rebuilt. The church's turret clock was made by W. H. Bailey of Salford. It was installed in 1888 and fixed up in 1911.
There are eight bells in the tower, which form a ring of bells. They were cast by John Taylor and Company in 1911. Bells have been mentioned in the church's records since 1692. All eight bells were taken down, melted down, and recast in 1910. The church's old records, called parish registers, go back to 1561.
Outside the Church Grounds
In the churchyard, you'll find a red sandstone sundial with a copper face. It was put up in 1800 by a stonemason named John Moors. The churchyard is also the resting place for seven soldiers from World War I and a Royal Navy sailor from World War II. Near the south porch, there's also the top part of an old medieval gravestone.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Cheshire
- Listed buildings in Northwich
- Sir John Deane's College
