St Mary's Church, Walton-on-the-Hill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Walton-on-the-Hill
St Mary's from the southeast
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OS grid reference	SJ 359 948
Location	Walton, Liverpool, Merseyside
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholicism
Website	St Mary, Walton-on-the-Hill
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	28 June 1952
Architect(s)	John Broadbent (tower)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Specifications
Materials	Stone
Administration
Parish	Walton-on-the-Hill
Deanery	Walton
Archdeaconry	Liverpool
Diocese	Liverpool
Province	York

St Mary's Church is a historic church located in Walton, Liverpool, England. It is an active Anglican church, meaning it belongs to the Church of England. St Mary's is part of a group of churches called the Walton Team Ministry. This church is very important, so it is protected as a Grade II listed building. This means it has special historical or architectural value.

History of St Mary's Church

St Mary's was once the main church for a large area called the West Derby Hundred. This area included what later became the city of Liverpool. A church was first mentioned on this site in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086.

The church was rebuilt in 1326. Later, the main part of the church, called the nave, was rebuilt in 1741. The chancel, which is the area around the altar, was rebuilt in 1810. None of these older parts remain today.

The oldest part of the current church is the west tower. It was built between 1829 and 1832. John Broadbent, a student of a famous architect, designed it. In 1840, the north side of the church was updated. The chancel was rebuilt again in 1843.

In 1911, more parts were added. These included a south aisle, a small chapel, a walkway, and a vestry (a room for clergy). Most of the church, except for the tower, was destroyed in 1941. This happened during the May Blitz, when bombs hit Liverpool during World War II.

The main part of the church was rebuilt between 1947 and 1953. Architects Quiggin and Gee worked on it. They kept the outside looking similar to before, but they created a new inside. Today, visitors can explore the church and see parts that date back to the Norman era.

Architecture of St Mary's Church

Outside the Church

The church has a five-bay nave, which is the main part where people sit. It has porches on the north and south sides. There is also a south aisle that continues to the east as a chapel. The chancel has four bays and a vestry. At the west end is a tall tower.

The tower is built in the Perpendicular style, which was popular in England. It has four levels. The corners have strong supports called buttresses that go up to pointed tops called pinnacles. Each side of the tower has a clock and windows with three sections. The very top level has openings for bells, covered with louvred screens. Around the top is a wall with a pattern, called an embattled parapet. At the east end of the church, there is a large window with five sections.

Inside the Church

Inside, the church has concrete vaults supported by a steel frame. At the west end, there is a stone gallery, which is like a balcony, held up by three arches.

In the chapel, you can find a reredos, which is a decorated screen behind the altar. It has a copy of a famous painting called Deposition of Christ. This copy was made in 1860 by Vincenzo Corsi. It used to be in a place called Haigh Hall.

The font, used for baptisms, is made of sandstone. It is very old, from the Norman period, but it was damaged. It is large and round, with carvings of Bible stories. The font was broken into pieces in 1941 during the bombing. It was put back together by E. Carter Preston. He also designed the beautiful stained glass windows in the church. At the east end of the church, there is a small piece of an even older cross. This fragment is from the Anglo-Saxon period.

External Features of St Mary's Church

Around St Mary's Church, there are four other important structures. They are also protected as Grade II listed buildings.

The churchyard wall is made of sandstone and dates from the 1800s. It has three entrances with stone piers (strong supports). These entrances originally had iron structures over them that held lanterns. Only one of these iron structures remains today.

In the west part of the wall, there is a red granite drinking fountain. This fountain was added in 1861 and was paid for by Charles Pierre Melly. It is one of the very first public drinking fountains in England.

To the south of the church, in the churchyard, you can find a sundial. It was made in the late 1600s or early 1700s. It has a decorative pillar, called a baluster, on a square step. The part that casts the shadow, called the gnomon, is missing.

In the east wall of the churchyard, there is what used to be a hearse house. Only the front part of it remains. It was built in the early 1800s. It has a pointed entrance and a decorative top edge called a cornice. The top also has a pattern like castle battlements, which is called crenellated.

To the left of the hearse house, there is a former mortuary. This building is also made of sandstone and dates from the early 1800s. Like the hearse house, only its front part remains. It has a triangular top section, called a pediment, with a cornice and decorative elements called acroteria.

See also

• Grade II listed buildings in Liverpool-L4
• Walton Hall, Liverpool