St Mary and All Saints' Church, Great Budworth Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary and All Saints Church, Great Budworth
View of St Mary and All Saints’ Church, Great Budworth, showing the church, lychgate and stocks
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OS grid reference	SJ 663 775
Location	Great Budworth, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Mary and All Saints
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Architect(s)	Anthony Salvin William Butterfield
Architectural type	Church
Style	Perpendicular
Specifications
Length	121 feet (37 m)
Width	52 feet (16 m)
Materials	Red sandstone
Administration
Parish	Great Budworth
Deanery	Great Budworth
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St Mary and All Saints Church is a beautiful old church located in the village of Great Budworth, Cheshire, England. It's still an active church today, part of the Anglican Church of England. This church is very special! It's listed as a Grade I building, which means it's considered extremely important and protected. Experts say it's one of the best and most beautiful churches in Cheshire, especially because of its amazing design and how it fits perfectly into its surroundings.

History of the Church
Church Architecture
- Outside the Church
- Inside the Church
Outside the Church Grounds
Gallery
See also

History of the Church

The first mention of a priest in Great Budworth was in the Domesday Book of 1086. This was a big survey ordered by William the Conqueror. In 1130, the church and its land were given to the Augustinian canons of Norton Priory. These were a group of priests who lived together.

The oldest part of the church you see today is the Lady Chapel. It was built in the 1300s. Most of the rest of the church was built later, in the 1400s and 1500s. In the 1850s, a man named Rowland Egerton-Warburton paid to have the church repaired and updated. This kind of work is called a Victorian restoration.

Church Architecture

St Mary and All Saints Church is an impressive building. It's mostly built in a style called Perpendicular Gothic. This style is known for its tall, straight lines and large windows. The church is made from red sandstone.

Outside the Church

The main part of the church, called the Nave, looking towards the front (the Chancel) from the Font and belltower.

The church has a tall tower at the west end. It also has a long main area called the nave with a clerestory (a row of windows above the main roof). On either side of the nave are aisles. At the front, there's a chancel, which is where the altar is. The chancel has chapels on its north and south sides.

The north transept (a part of the church that sticks out like an arm) is the Lady Chapel. The shorter south transept is called the Warburton Chapel. Near the south aisle, there's a porch. The whole church has a crenellated top, which looks like the top of a castle wall.

Look closely at the tower! On the north side, there's a sculpture of Saint Christopher. On the south side, you'll see one of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The tower also has strong buttresses (supports) and a small, eight-sided tower called a turret. You can also see a clock and windows for the bells.

Inside the Church

Inside the Warburton Chapel.

The ceiling in the nave was built in the early 1500s and has 72 different panels. In the Warburton Chapel, there are five old oak seats from the 1200s. These are thought to be the oldest in Cheshire! The church also has two old chests, one from the medieval period and another from 1680.

The baptismal font (where baptisms take place) is eight-sided and from the 1400s. You'll find two chairs from the Jacobean era (early 1600s) in the sanctuary area. The screen leading to the north transept was designed by Anthony Salvin.

The beautiful stained glass windows in the east part of the church were made by Charles Eamer Kempe between 1883 and 1901. In the north transept, there's also some unique Expressionist glass made in 1965.

In the north chapel, there's a memorial to Sir Peter Leycester, 1st Baronet, a historian from the 1600s. In the Warburton Chapel, you can see a stone statue (called an effigy) of Sir John Warburton, who passed away in 1575.

The church has an organ that was built in 1839. It's very special and is recognized as an "Organ of Historic Importance." It was repaired in 2004. There are also eight bells in the tower. Most of them were made in 1733, with others from 1760 and 1822.

Outside the Church Grounds

Around the churchyard, there are four important structures. The churchyard wall is made of sandstone and brick. Parts of it are very old, from the late medieval period. It even has a water trough built into it!

The lychgate at the entrance to the churchyard was built in 1920. It serves as a memorial to soldiers who died in the First World War. It's made of oak and has a wooden crucifix on top.

You'll also find a stone sundial from the late 1700s in the churchyard. Just outside the churchyard wall, there are stocks. These were used in the past to punish people and are probably from the early 1700s. The churchyard is also the resting place for six British servicemen from World War I and World War II.

Gallery

The church tower from the west, showing the water trough built into the wall, the clock, and the louvred bell tower.
The outside of the church from the south, showing the eight-sided tower.
The outside of the church from the north.
The Baptismal font inside the church, looking towards the south porch and aisle.
The Nave (main part of the church) looking from the chancel towards the belltower and font.
The south aisle, looking towards the Warburton Chapel (which is on the right, out of view).
The Chancel area of the church.
The Organ in the chancel.

St Mary and All Saints' Church, Great Budworth facts for kids

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