St Hilary's Church, Wallasey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Hilary's Church, Wallasey |
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St Hilary's Church, Wallasey, from the south
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| OS grid reference | SJ 296 928 |
| Location | Wallasey, Wirral, Merseyside |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Low church |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Hilary of Poitiers |
| Consecrated | 1859 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 20 January 1988 |
| Architect(s) | W. & J. Hay |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone, slate roofs Separate tower in stone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Wallasey |
| Deanery | Wallasey |
| Archdeaconry | Chester |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
| Synod | Caroline Houghton Ann Hughes |
St Hilary's Church is a special building in Wallasey, Wirral, Merseyside, England. It's actually two main parts: a church built in 1858–1859, and an older tower from a medieval church that stands by itself. Both of these parts are very important. They are listed as Grade II buildings, which means they are protected because of their history and architecture. St Hilary's is still a busy Anglican church today.
Contents
History of St Hilary's Church
The church building you see today is thought to be the sixth one on this spot! The very first church here might have been built during Saxon times. It was probably made of wood, and no trace of it remains. Later, some stones were found from a Norman building on the site.
It's believed a new church was built between 1162 and 1182. This church was then rebuilt, and a tower was added during the time of kings Edward I and Edward II. Another rebuilding happened when Henry VIII was king, and the tower from 1530 was put back together. In 1757, the church was in bad shape, so it was rebuilt again.
The Great Fire of 1857
This church building was accidentally burned down in 1857. People say it happened because the sexton (the person who looks after the church) made the heating boiler too hot. Bacon that was being smoked in the boiler room started to drip fat onto old prayer mats below, which then caught fire.
Wallasey didn't have its own fire service back then. Someone had to quickly go to Birkenhead to get help. By the time the firefighters arrived, the church was burning too much to be saved. After this fire, the church was rebuilt as a separate building in 1858–1859. The old tower was left standing on its own. The architects who designed the new church were W. and J. Hay.
Architecture and Design
The church is built from stone and has a roof made of slate. It has a main area called a nave with high windows (a clerestory). On each side of the nave are north and south aisles with sloping roofs. There's also a central part with a tower and side sections called transepts. The main altar area is called the chancel, which has a small room (a vestry) to the north and a small chapel to the south.
The Historic Church Tower
The separate tower is made of stone. Its lower parts are very old, dating back to the 13th century. It has three levels and strong diagonal supports called buttresses. On the north and east sides, you can see arches that were once open but are now blocked up.
The openings where the bells are have three sections and are covered with slats. At the very top, there's a wall with a jagged edge, called an embattled parapet. You can also see gargoyles, which are carved stone figures that act as water spouts.
Inside the Church
The church roof has a special design with arched braces. In the chancel, there's a two-section area for the organ on the north side. To the south, there's a two-section archway (an arcade) leading to the chapel. The wooden reredos (a screen behind the altar) has beautiful, detailed carvings.
The church stalls, where people sit, were made in 1897. They are decorated with designs from the Arts and Crafts movement and colorful enamel plaques. The church has a set of six bells. They were made by John Taylor & Co in 1859. The church's old records, like the churchwardens' accounts from 1658 and the parish registers from 1574, were saved from the 1857 fire.
The Church Organ
The church organ was first built in 1861 by Henry Willis. It was designed by W. T. Best, who was the organist at the time. It had two keyboards, called manuals. Around 1903, the organ was completely rebuilt. It became a much larger organ with three manuals and many different sounds (39 stops and 15 couplers). This work was done by W. Johnson of Birkenhead, based on a design by Dr. James Lyon, who was the organist then. In 1924, the organ was moved to a new spot above the vestry. The most recent rebuilt organ was designed by George Dixon and built by Rushworth and Dreaper.
Outside the Church
In the churchyard, there is a special grave for a World War II Royal Air Force officer. This is a war grave, cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
See also
- Listed buildings in Wallasey
