St Mary's Church, West Derby, Liverpool facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, West Derby |
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St Mary's Church, West Derby,
from the southwest |
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 St Mary's Church, West Derby
Location in Merseyside
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| 53°26′00″N 2°54′31″W / 53.4334°N 2.9086°W | |
| OS grid reference | SJ 397 934 |
| Location | West Derby, Liverpool, Merseyside |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Liberal Catholic |
| Website | St Mary, West Derby |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 12 July 1966 |
| Architect(s) | George Gilbert Scott |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival (Geometric) |
| Groundbreaking | 1853 |
| Completed | 1856 |
| Specifications | |
| Other dimensions | Tower height over 160 feet (49 m) Nave 72 feet (22 m) by 55 feet (17 m) Chancel 41 feet (12 m) by 25 feet (8 m) |
| Materials | Sandstone, slate roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Mary, West Derby |
| Deanery | West Derby |
| Archdeaconry | Liverpool |
| Diocese | Liverpool |
| Province | York |
St Mary's Church is a beautiful old church located in West Derby, a part of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, meaning it's a local church for the community. The church is very important historically. It is listed as a Grade II* building, which means it's a particularly important building of more than special interest.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church was built to replace an older chapel. This chapel was built in 1793 and stood nearby. When the old chapel was taken down, people found signs of very old Saxon building materials. This suggests there might have been an even older building on the site.
The land for the current church was given by the Earl of Sefton. He also donated £500 towards the building costs. The Earl asked a famous architect, George Gilbert Scott, to design the church. The first stone was laid on April 13, 1853. The church was finished in 1856. A banker named John Pemberton Heywood paid for the large central tower.
Exploring the Church's Design
St Mary's Church is built from red sandstone. Inside, the pillars are made of Yorkshire stone. The roofs are covered with slate. The church's style is called Geometric Gothic Revival. This means it looks like churches from the Middle Ages but was built much later.
Outside the Church: What to See
The church has a long main hall called a nave. It has five sections, or bays. Above the nave is a row of windows called a clerestory. There are also side sections called north and south aisles. You can enter through porches on the north and south sides.
The church also has parts that stick out on the sides, called transepts. A tall central tower stands where the nave and transepts meet. This area is called the crossing. At the east end is the chancel, which is the area around the altar. It has a rounded, apsidal end. There are also smaller chapels on the north and south sides of the chancel.
At the front of the church, there's a main doorway. Above it is a large window with four sections. The windows along the sides of the church have two or three sections. The tower is very grand. It has two main levels and octagonal (eight-sided) turrets at each corner. These turrets have pointed decorations called crocketed pinnacles.
Inside the Church: Details and Art
Inside the church, the nave has rows of round pillars. These pillars support the arches. The tops of the pillars, called capitals, are carved with beautiful plant designs. Between the chancel and the south chapel, there's an arcade with two arches. These arches are supported by special four-leaf clover shaped pillars.
Many of the church's wooden fittings were designed by John Oldrid Scott. These include the seats for the clergy, called stalls. He also designed the altar rails and the pulpit, which is where sermons are given. The reredos, which is a screen behind the altar, was also altered by him. The cover for the font and the wood panels in the sanctuary (the area around the altar) were also his work.
The sanctuary lamp was designed by George Gilbert Scott Jr.. Many of the colorful stained glass windows were made by Hardman & Co.. However, the large window at the west end was made by William Wailes. Other windows were created by Percy Bacon. On the floor of the chancel, there is a special metal plaque, called a monumental brass. It remembers Revd John Stewart, who was the first rector of the new church. He passed away in 1889.
The church has a large pipe organ. The first organ was built in 1860 by Gray and Davison. It was replaced by another organ from the same company in 1891. Over the years, the organ has been rebuilt and updated several times. The most recent major work was completed in 2012.
See also
- List of new churches by George Gilbert Scott in Northern England
- Grade II* listed buildings in Liverpool – Suburbs
