St Mary's Church, Dodleston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Dodleston |
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St Mary's Church, Dodleston
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| OS grid reference | SJ 362,610 |
| Location | Dodleston, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Mary, Dodleston |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 1 June 1967 |
| Architect(s) | John Douglas (rebuilding) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1870 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red sandstone, Grey slate roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Dodleston |
| Deanery | Chester |
| Archdeaconry | Chester |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
St Mary's Church is a historic church located in the village of Dodleston, Cheshire, England. It is recognized as a Grade II listed building, which means it is an important historical and architectural site. The church is still active today, serving as an Anglican parish church within the diocese of Chester.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
A church has stood on this spot for a very long time, even next to an old castle mound. The oldest part of the current church is the base of its tower, which was built in the early 1500s. Most of the church you see today was rebuilt in 1870. This work was done by a famous architect from Chester named John Douglas. He designed the church in a style called 'Perpendicular Gothic'.
Architecture and Design
Outside the Church
The church is built from red sandstone, and its roofs are covered with grey slate. The building has a main hall (called a nave) and a side section (a north aisle). It also has a special area for the altar (the chancel) with a small room next to it (a north vestry). There's also a wooden entrance porch with a pointed roof.
The tower has two levels and a short spire on top. Around the top of the tower is a decorative, tooth-like wall called a crenellated parapet. The tower has strong supports called buttresses. On the west side, there's a large window with four sections. You can also see a small window for the bell ringers on the south side of the tower. The windows where the bells are located have two sections. The large window at the east end of the church has five sections and detailed stone patterns.
Look closely at the outside north wall of the tower! You might see pitted marks. People say these marks were made by muskets fired during the English Civil War.
Inside the Church
Inside St Mary's Church, you can find some interesting historical items. There's a small piece of a medieval coffin. On the west wall, there's a royal coat of arms for King Charles II, dated 1660.
Underneath the tower, you'll find the tomb of Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley, who passed away in 1617, and his wife, Elizabeth, who passed away in 1588. The eight-sided font, used for baptisms, likely dates back to the 1600s. The beautiful stained glass in the east window was added in the late 1800s.
The church has a set of six bells. The oldest bells date from around 1500, 1618, and 1681. Two newer bells were made in 1870 by John Warner and Sons. The newest bell was cast in 1929 by Gillett & Johnston. The church's records, called parish registers, started in 1570, but some parts are missing.
External Features
Outside the main church building, there are other interesting features. The lych gate canopy and its side walls are also listed as Grade II historical structures. A lych gate is a roofed gateway to a churchyard. This one has an oak frame on a sandstone base and a roof made of slate and red tiles. The side walls are made of red sandstone. In the churchyard, there is also a sundial that is dated 1732.
See also
- Listed buildings in Dodleston
- List of church restorations, amendments and furniture by John Douglas
