St Mary's Creative Space facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Creative Space |
|
|---|---|
St Mary's Creative Space, Chester
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| OS grid reference | SJ 404,658 |
| Location | Chester, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Church of St Mary-on-the-Hill, Chester |
| Status | Redundant |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Educational centre |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 28 June 1955 |
| Architect(s) | James Harrison J. P. Seddon |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Completed | 1892 |
| Closed | 1972 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red sandstone |
St Mary's Creative Space is a special building in Chester, Cheshire, England. It used to be a church called the Church of St Mary-on-the-Hill. You can find it at the top of St Mary's Hill, close to Chester Castle. This building is very important, so it's listed as a Grade I heritage site.
The building is now used as an educational center. It's also a popular place for concerts and art shows. The Chester Music Society often holds concerts there. Many different artists, from local performers to international acts, use the space for cultural events.
History of St Mary's
The first church on this spot was built a very long time ago, during the Norman period. It was used by people from the nearby castle. The building you see today was mostly built in the 14th and 15th centuries.
- Around 1443, a part of the church called the south chapel was built. It belonged to the Earl of Shrewsbury.
- In 1645, during the Civil War, the church was damaged. The south chapel even collapsed in 1661.
- It was rebuilt in 1693.
- During the Jacobite rising of 1745, the top part of the church tower was taken down. This was done so that Lord Cholmondeley could have a clear view to fire cannons.
- The church was repaired several times, including in 1861–62 by James Harrison and in 1890–92 by J. P. Seddon.
- The north porch was rebuilt in 1892 to remember Randle Holme III.
- The church stopped being used as a church in 1972.
Building Design
Outside the Building
St Mary's Creative Space is built from red sandstone. It has a tall tower at the west end with three sections. The main part of the church, called the nave, has three sections and windows high up. There are also side sections called aisles.
- The church has a chancel (the area around the altar) with chapels on its north and south sides.
- There are two porches: one on the north side and a two-story one on the south side.
- The bottom two sections of the tower are from the 16th century, and the top section was added in the 19th century.
- You can see a Tudor style doorway on the north wall of the tower.
- The arched walkways inside the nave are also in the Tudor style.
- The chapel on the northeast side is called St Katherine's Chapel. The one on the southeast is the Troutbeck Chapel.
Inside the Building
Today, all the old church furniture has been removed. The inside of the church mostly shows a style called Perpendicular Gothic. However, the arches leading to the tower and the chancel are in the Decorated style.
- On the east wall, you can still see traces of an old wall painting. There's also a small basin for holy water from before the Reformation.
- The medieval roof is made of strong beams and is divided into many panels. It's beautifully carved with lots of decorative pieces called bosses.
- Some of the stained glass windows are very old. The east window is from 1857 and was made by William Wailes. He also made the stained glass in the south chapel.
- In the east window of the north chapel, you can find parts of a memorial for the Crimean War. It was made around 1856 by George Hedgeland.
.jpg)
The church has 72 monuments and memorials from the 16th century to the early 20th century. These are like special statues or plaques that remember people who have passed away.
- One tomb in St Katherine's Chapel belongs to Philip Oldfield of Bradwall, a lawyer who died in 1616. His statue shows him lying on his side. Below, there's a skeleton in the same position, and statues of his four sons and two daughters kneeling.
- Another tomb shows statues of Thomas Gamul, who also died in 1616, and his wife. At their feet, their son Francis is shown reading a book. The side of the tomb has pictures of Francis's three sisters and the family's coat of arms.
- A wall monument in the north aisle remembers four members of the Randle Holme family, who were painters of memorials.
- There's also a large Gothic-style tablet for William Currie, who died in 1834. It was made by James Harrison.
The church has a set of eight bells. Three of these bells were made by John Scott in 1657. The others include a bell from 1783 by John Rudhall, three bells from 1895 by John Warner and Sons, and one from 1939 by John Taylor and Company.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Cheshire
- Grade I listed buildings in Cheshire West and Chester
- List of works by James Harrison
