St Luke's Church, Goostrey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Luke's Church, Goostrey |
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St Luke's Church, Goostrey, from the south
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| 53°13′36″N 2°19′55″W / 53.2268°N 2.3320°W | |
| OS grid reference | SJ 779 700 |
| Location | Goostrey, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Luke's Goostrey |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St Luke |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 14 February 1967 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Neoclassical |
| Completed | 1796 |
| Construction cost | £1,700 (equivalent to £130,000 in 2021) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Goostrey |
| Deanery | Congleton |
| Archdeaconry | Macclesfield |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
St Luke's Church is a beautiful old church located in the village of Goostrey, Cheshire, England. It's a very important building, recognized as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a special historic place! St Luke's is an active Anglican parish church, part of the diocese of Chester. It serves the local community and is combined with the church of St Peter, Swettenham.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's History
The area of Goostrey is mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086. A church or chapel was already here by 1244. Imagine, people have been worshipping on this spot for nearly 800 years!
Originally, around 1617, there was a chapel made of wood. It had a main area (nave) and a special part for the altar (chancel). Over time, more sections were added. But by 1792, this old wooden chapel was taken down. The church you see today was then built between 1792 and 1796.
Goostrey Parish: An Ancient Place
The church parish of Goostrey covers more than just the village. It also includes Twemlow, an area named after ancient burial mounds. These mounds show that people lived here over four thousand years ago!
The Domesday Book tells us that most of Goostrey was owned by important figures like William Fitz Nigel. He and others gave land here to help start new abbeys, like the abbey of Saint Werburgh in Chester.
Old records sometimes give us interesting glimpses into the past. For example, in 1286, someone broke into the church and took things. Another sad note from 1385 tells of five brothers from Blackden who were all killed and buried in the churchyard.
Inside St Luke's Church
St Luke's Church was built before 1220. For a long time, people from Goostrey had to travel five miles to Sandbach for burials. This journey was often difficult because of floods. So, everyone was very happy when, around 1350, they were finally allowed to bury people at St Luke's!
The old church was made of wood, like Marton Church still is today. The only part left from that medieval wooden church is the beautiful 15th-century font, which is a large basin used for baptisms.
The Church Bells
Three of the church bells are very old and used to ring in the original wooden building. The oldest bell was made in 1606! Another was remade in 1705, and a third one a little later.
Today, the church has a set of six bells. Two of them were made in 1869 by a famous company called Mears & Stainbank. The other four were made by James Barwell in 1913. The church also has an organ, which was built in 1876.
Communion Plates and Stained Glass
The church has some very old communion plates. These are special dishes and cups used during church services. A silver paten (a small plate) was given in 1719. It was made in London in 1715. A chalice (cup) and flagon (pitcher) were made in 1759. There are also newer pieces, like a paten from 1902 and a chalice from 1931.
The beautiful stained glass windows in the church date from around 1876. The large window at the east end of the church remembers Egerton Leigh. Another window on the southwest side remembers Mary Susan Armitstead, who was the young wife of the vicar (church leader) William George.
Church Records: Stories from the Past
The church has very old records, called parish registers, that go all the way back to 1561. These books contain interesting notes about the people who lived here. For example, one entry from 1674 mentions James Dean marrying Margaret Hall, who was his third wife "all within the year"!
The registers also show how people in Goostrey had a say in choosing their minister, even in the 18th century. One minister, Mr Henry Newcome, was very strict. He even stopped some people from taking communion because they drank too much!
Churchwarden's Accounts
The Churchwarden's Accounts, which started in 1638, tell us about the money side of church life long ago. For example, in 1661, it cost thirteen shillings to fix the font. In 1658, a clock was bought for two pounds, three shillings, and nine pence.
Some things seem very cheap compared to today, like painting the royal arms for just over two pounds. But other things were very expensive. A new Communion Service book in 1662 cost twelve shillings. At that time, a worker's weekly pay was much less than that! In 1750, 5000 bricks cost two pounds five shillings.
Building the Current Church
In 1792, people decided to build a new church because the old wooden one was very cold. It cost £1,700 to build, and the design was by a local bricklayer. The old church needed a lot of repairs and changes, so a new building was the best solution. They did, however, keep the old yew tree in the churchyard.
In 1876, the church was restored and updated inside. This is probably when the pulpit (where sermons are given), lectern (where readings are done), and special wood panels in the sanctuary were added. A new organ was also installed. In 1961, a new altar and other furniture were added to the chancel, making more space for the choir.
The Churchyard
The churchyard is the area around the church. It has a few interesting historical items:
- A sundial from 1798.
- A table tomb (a type of grave) near the east end of the church.
- A war memorial near the churchyard gate, remembering those who served.
- The war grave of a Canadian soldier from World War I.
Goostrey Schools
Right across from the church is Goostrey Primary School. The first mention of a school here was in 1640. It was originally next to the churchyard and also used as a court house! This building was taken down in 1703.
The students might have then moved to the old school house, which is one of the oldest buildings in the village. In 1856, the main part of the current school was built. For a long time, the schoolmaster was also the parish clerk. The last person to hold both jobs was Jonathan Harding, who worked for 52 years! He is buried near the church. In 1977, a new infants' department was built, which ended the old close connection between the church and the school.
Notable People of Goostrey
Many interesting people have connections to Goostrey.
- John Hulse, a church leader here from 1735 to 1754, left money to Cambridge University. This money helped create a special teaching position that is still named after him!
- The Kinsey family, who acquired land here around 1380, are remembered in the church.
- The Armitstead family provided four vicars for Goostrey between 1859 and 1923.
- The Baskervyle family were important landowners at nearby Withington Hall from 1266 until 1954. Their memorials are in the church.
- The Booth family, who lived at Twemlow Hall, were also very important in the North West by the 15th century.
Today, most of the land around Goostrey is owned by the families who farm it. However, Manchester University owns land at the northeast corner of Goostrey. This is where their famous radio telescope, Jodrell Bank, is located. It looks over ancient burial mounds from the Stone Age!
Images for kids
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St Luke's Church, Goostrey, from the south
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire East
- Listed buildings in Goostrey
