St Mary's and St Helen's Church, Neston facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary and St Helen Church, Neston
St Mary and St Helen Church, Neston, from the north
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OS grid reference	SJ 292 775
Location	Neston, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Neston, St Mary and St Helen
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	27 December 1962
Architect(s)	J. Francis Doyle
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic, Gothic revival
Completed	1875
Specifications
Materials	Red sandstone Slate tiled roof with red tile cresting
Administration
Parish	Neston
Deanery	Wirral South
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St Mary and St Helen Church is a historic church located in Neston, Cheshire, England. It is a very important building, listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a special building with a lot of history. The church is an active Anglican parish church, serving the local community. It is part of the Diocese of Chester.

Church History

The church has a long history, with records showing a priest in Neston as far back as the Domesday Book. This book was a huge survey of England made in 1086. The first written proof of a church on this spot dates to around 1170. It was started by Ralph de Montalt, a powerful baron.

It's likely there was an even older church here. When the floor was being replaced in the 1800s, workers found pieces of old crosses. These crosses were made before the Norman Conquest in 1066. They were found to be "Hiberno Norse" or Viking Age in style. Another piece was found in the bell tower in the 1980s. You can see these ancient fragments displayed at the west end of the church today.

In the 1700s, some people in the church disagreed about adding galleries. Galleries are like balconies inside a church. These additions actually damaged the building. By 1871, an architect said the church was unsafe. So, between 1874 and 1875, the main part of the church was rebuilt. J. Francis Doyle was the architect. He used some of the old Norman architecture materials in the new design.

Church Architecture

Outside the Church

The church is built using red sandstone. Its roofs are made of slate with a red tile ridge along the top. The tower is the oldest part of the church that still stands today. It's described as a strong, rugged stone tower with gargoyles. The bottom part of the tower might even include some reused Norman stones. An extra level was added to the tower in 1854.

The main part of the church has a nave with six sections, and aisles on the sides. There's also a chancel (the area around the altar) with two sections. A vestry (a room for clergy) is on the north side, and a porch is on the south. The aisles have gabled roofs, which means they come to a point like a triangle. The nave has a clerestory, which is a row of windows high up to let in light.

Inside the Church

The baptismal font dates back to the 1500s. It has eight sides with decorative panels. This is the very font where Emma, Lady Hamilton was baptised in 1765. She later became a famous figure in British history. The only special memorial inside the church is a carved stone for a priest from the 1300s.

Some of the beautiful stained glass windows were designed by Edward Burne-Jones and made by Morris & Co.. Other windows were created by Charles Eamer Kempe. Between the tower and the nave, you'll find fancy wrought iron gates. These gates were made to remember Reginald Bushell, who passed away in 1904.

The church organ has three keyboards and was built in 1900. The church also has a set of eight bells. Four of these bells were made in 1731. The other four were made in 1884 by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. The church's parish registers, which record baptisms, weddings, and burials, start in 1559. They show Emma Lyon's baptism in 1761. The churchwardens' accounts, which track church finances, date from 1701.

Churchyard Features

In the churchyard, there is a sundial from 1717. It has a red sandstone base shaped like a vase. This sundial is also a listed building. Close to the church, you can find a hearse house. A hearse house is a small building where a hearse (a vehicle for funerals) was kept. It is made of red sandstone with a slate roof. Susan Burney, whose sister was the famous novelist Fanny Burney, is buried in the churchyard. The churchyard also holds the graves of seven British service members who died in World War I.

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire West and Chester
• Listed buildings in Neston