St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury |
|
|---|---|
St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury, from the southeast
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| OS grid reference | SJ 594 477 |
| Location | Wrenbury, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Margaret, Wrenbury |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 12 January 1967 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red sandstone ashlar Tiled roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Wrenbury |
| Deanery | Macclesfield |
| Archdeaconry | Nantwich |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
St Margaret's Church is a beautiful old church located in the village of Wrenbury, Cheshire, England. It stands proudly overlooking the village green. This church is very special because it is a "Grade II* listed building." This means it's an important historic building that needs to be protected.
St Margaret's is an active Anglican church, which is part of the Church of England. It serves the local community and is connected with two other churches nearby: St Michael's in Baddiley and St Mary's and St Michael's in Burleydam.
Contents
History of St Margaret's Church
This church started as a smaller "chapel of ease." This kind of chapel was built so people didn't have to travel far to a main church. The church you see today was mostly built in the early 1500s. Over the years, it has been changed and added to, especially in the 1700s and 1800s. For example, the main part of the church, called the nave, was fixed up in 1794. The chancel, which is the area around the altar, was rebuilt in 1806 and then improved again in 1865.
Architecture: What the Church Looks Like
St Margaret's Church is built from red sandstone blocks, and its roof is made of tiles. It has a tall tower at the west end, a main hall called the nave with narrow aisles, a chancel, and a porch on the south side.
Exterior: Outside the Church
The church tower has a flat top with battlements, which look like the tops of old castles. There are also pointed decorations called pinnacles at each corner. The main door on the west side was changed into a window. Above this, there is another window with three sections. The openings for the bells have two sections. You can also see a round stair tower on the southeast side of the main tower. This tower goes all the way up to the roof.
Interior: Inside the Church
The roof inside the nave has strong wooden beams and decorative carvings called bosses. This roof was built in the late 1500s. The nave also has old wooden box pews. Many of these pews have the family symbols of local important families carved on their doors.
There's a special pew near the door that was once used by the "dog whipper." This person's job was to keep dogs out of the church. They also had to gently wake up anyone who fell asleep during the sermon!
The pulpit, where sermons are given, is from the early 1700s. The west gallery, which is a raised area, was added in the late 1700s. In the tower, there's a very long wooden chest, over 6 feet (1.8 meters) long, with 14 iron straps to keep it secure. A fancy brass chandelier was given to the church in 1839. The baptismal font, used for baptisms, is made of sandstone. The church records, called parish registers, go all the way back to 1593.
Monuments: Remembering People
Inside the church, you can find special monuments that remember important local families, like the Cotton family from Combermere Abbey and the Starkey family from Wrenbury Hall. These monuments are like stone or brass memorials.
- A wall tablet remembers George Cotton and Hugh-Calvely Cotton from the Cotton family. It's a simple wooden tablet with a long message and the Cotton family's coat of arms painted on top.
- Another wall tablet remembers many members of the Starkey family, going back to the early 1600s. It's also a simple wooden tablet with a long message and the Starkey family's coat of arms.
- There are white marble sculptures on black marble backgrounds by a famous sculptor named John Bacon Jr. These remember Thomas Starkey (who died in 1802), John Jennings (who died in 1808), and Eleanor Starkey (who died in 1811).
- A large white marble monument remembers Field Marshal Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere (who died in 1865). This impressive monument was made by W Theed of London.
- A brass plaque with a black marble background remembers Wellington Stapleton-Cotton, 2nd Viscount Combermere (who died in 1891). It also has the Cotton family's coat of arms.
Organ and Bells
The church organ was built in 1884 by Charles Whiteley of Chester and was fixed up by the same company in 1984.
The church has a set of six bells. The oldest bells were made in 1610 and 1666. One bell from 1861 was made by John Warner and Sons. The other three bells were made in 1902 by John Taylor and Company.
External Features: Outside the Churchyard
In the churchyard, which is the area around the church, there is an old cast iron gravestone from the mid-1800s. The gates, railings, and gateposts leading into the churchyard are also listed as historic, meaning they are important to protect. There is even a small cottage in the churchyard that is also a listed building.
The churchyard is also home to the Commonwealth war graves of soldiers and airmen who died in World War I and World War II. These graves remind us of their sacrifice.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire East
- Listed buildings in Wrenbury cum Frith
