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St Luke's Church, Dunham on the Hill
St Luke, Dunham on the Hill.jpg
East end of St Luke's Church, Dunham on the Hill
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OS grid reference SJ 472 731
Location Dunham on the Hill, Cheshire
Country England
Denomination Anglican
Churchmanship Central
Website St Luke, Dunham-on-the-Hill
History
Status Parish church
Dedication Saint Luke
Consecrated 18 October 1861
Architecture
Functional status Active
Heritage designation Grade II
Designated 20 December 1983
Architect(s) James Harrison
Architectural type Church
Style Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking 1860
Completed 1861
Construction cost c. £800
Specifications
Materials Sandstone, slate roof
Administration
Parish St Luke, Dunham-on-the-Hill
Deanery Frodsham
Archdeaconry Chester
Diocese Chester
Province York

St Luke's Church is a beautiful church located in the village of Dunham on the Hill in Cheshire, England. It's an active Anglican church, which means it's part of the Church of England. People still go there for services today. It's a very important building, listed as a Grade II listed building, which helps protect its history and special design.

History of St Luke's Church

The first stone of St Luke's Church was put in place on May 22, 1860. This is called the foundation stone. The church was designed by an architect named James Harrison.

When Was the Church Finished?

The church was officially opened and blessed on October 18, 1861. This special ceremony is called a consecration. When it first opened, it was a chapel of ease. This meant it was a smaller church built to help people who lived far from the main parish church.

How Much Did it Cost?

Building St Luke's Church cost about £800 back then. That might not sound like much today, but it was a lot of money in 1861! It would be like spending £50,000 in 2021.

Exploring the Church's Design

St Luke's Church is built from strong sandstone and has a roof made of slate. Its style looks like churches from the early 1300s, known as Gothic Revival.

What Does the Church Look Like?

The church has a main open area called a nave, which has three sections or bays. There's also a small entrance on the south side called a porch. At the front of the church is the chancel, where the altar is. On either side of the chancel are small rooms called vestries. At the very back of the church, there's a small tower for bells, known as a bellcote.

Windows and Details

The windows along the sides of the nave have two sections of glass. The window at the very front (the east window) has three sections, and the window at the back (the west window) has four. Inside the porch, you can see three special carved spaces called niches. At the top of the nave and chancel, there are stone crosses called finials.

Inside St Luke's Church

When you go inside, you'll see a wooden screen with special carvings that look like folded linen, called linenfold panelling. The stone font, where baptisms happen, was made in 1863. It has an eight-sided bowl on an eight-sided stand. The wooden pulpit, where the priest gives sermons, is also eight-sided.

Special Cross and Stained Glass

A very fancy, shiny gold cross hangs inside the church. It was moved here from Chester Cathedral in 1921. This cross was designed by a famous architect named George Gilbert Scott and made by a company called Skidmore. The beautiful stained glass in the east window was made around 1878 by Shrigley and Hunt and designed by Carl Almquist.

See also

  • Listed buildings in Dunham on the Hill
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