St Michael's Church, Baddiley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's Church, Baddiley |
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St Michael's Church, Baddiley, from the southeast
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| OS grid reference | SJ 604 502 |
| Location | Baddiley, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Michael's Baddiley |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 1308 |
| Dedication | Saint Michael |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 12 January 1967 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 1308 |
| Completed | 1811 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Chancel timber-framed with brick infill; nave timber framing encased in brick; tiled roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Baddiley, Wrenbury & Burleydam |
| Deanery | Nantwich |
| Archdeaconry | Macclesfield |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
St Michael's Church is a special old church located in Baddiley, Cheshire, England. It is listed as a Grade I building, which means it is very important historically. The church sits at the end of a quiet lane, close to Baddiley Hall.
This church was built in the early 1300s. It is one of only a few churches in the country that are made with timber framing. Inside, a screen and a special painted wall called a tympanum separate the main part of the church (the nave) from the altar area (the chancel). St Michael's is still an active Anglican church today.
Contents
Church History: A Look Back
The church was first built in 1308. Many years later, in 1811, the main part of the church (the nave) was covered in brick. This changed its look quite a bit.
More recently, between 2003 and 2004, important repairs were done. Workers fixed the old timber frame, the south door, and the outside brick walls of the chancel.
St Michael's Church is also the final resting place of Helen Macfarlane. She was the first person to translate The Communist Manifesto from German into English.
Church Design: What It Looks Like
Outside the Church
The church has a simple design. It has a main area called the nave and a slightly smaller chancel. There is also a small room called a vestry on the north side.
At the front, there is a porch built into the west wall. The chancel walls are made of timber frames filled with brick. Originally, they were filled with a mix of mud and straw called wattle and daub.
The north and south walls of the chancel have tall, narrow timber sections. On the south side, there is an old Gothic wooden door. It has three-light windows on either side. The vestry is a smaller room attached to the north side.
The east wall has a three-light window with a small, clover-shaped window above it. The nave has three-light windows with Gothic-style tops on both the north and south walls. The west wall has brick pillars next to the porch. On top of the roof, there is a small tower with louvred openings for the bell.
Inside the Church
Inside, a special screen and a painted wall (tympanum) separate the nave from the chancel. This is quite rare in Cheshire. The screen itself is simple, but the tympanum is very colorful.
The tympanum shows the date 1663. In the middle, you can see the royal arms of King Charles II. Below that is the coat of arms of the Mainwaring family, who lived nearby. On each side, there are panels with the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer.
The roof of the nave is from the Middle Ages. It has strong wooden beams called camber beams. The rails around the altar are from 1701. At the west end, there is a gallery from the Georgian era. The church also has old box pews and a tall, three-level pulpit.
In the chancel, there is a large monument for Sir Thomas Mainwaring, who passed away in 1726. It is decorated with small angel figures called putti and the family's coat of arms. On the walls near the gallery, there are two panels. These panels list people who left money in their wills to help the poor people of the parish. The church's records of births, marriages, and deaths (parish registers) go back to 1597. The churchwardens' accounts, which track church money, start in 1636.
Current Activities
Anglican church services are held regularly at St Michael's Church.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Cheshire East
- Grade I listed churches in Cheshire
- Listed buildings in Baddiley
