St Michael's Church, Baddiley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's Church, Baddiley |
|
|---|---|
St Michael's Church, Baddiley, from the southeast
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| 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 very old and special church located in Baddiley, Cheshire, England. It is considered a Grade I listed building, which means it is a very important historical site. The church is found at the end of a quiet lane, close to Baddiley Hall. This hall used to be the home of the Mainwaring family.
The church was built in the early 1300s. It is one of only a few churches in the country that are made with a special building style called timber framing. Inside, a screen and a wooden panel called a tympanum separate the main part of the church (the nave) from the altar area (the chancel). This screen is older than the time of the Protestant Reformation. St Michael's Church is still an active Anglican church today. It is part of the Diocese of Chester.
Contents
History of the Church
The first official record of St Michael's Church dates back to 1308. However, there might have been an even older church on this spot before that time. In 1811, the main part of the church, the nave, was covered in brick. Only the west end, called the gable, was left uncovered. Between 2003 and 2004, important repairs were done. Workers fixed the timber frame, the south door, and the brickwork on the outside of the chancel.
A famous person named Helen Macfarlane is buried here. She was the first person to translate a very important book, The Communist Manifesto, from German into English.
Church Architecture
Outside the Church
The church has a simple design. It has a main area called the nave, which has three sections. There is also a narrower, lower chancel, which is where the altar is. A small room called a vestry is located on the north side of the chancel. At the west end of the church, there is a porch built into the wall.
The chancel's timber frame is now filled with bricks. These bricks replaced the original material, which was a mix of mud and sticks called wattle and daub. The north and south walls of the chancel have many wooden posts placed close together. In the middle of the south wall, there is a Gothic-style wooden door. On each side of this door are windows with three sections. The vestry is a small room with a sloping roof on the north side. The east wall has a three-section window with a small, three-leaf shaped window above it.
The nave has three windows on both its north and south walls. Each of these windows has three sections and a Gothic-style top. The west wall has pairs of brick columns next to the porch. The porch itself has seats on the sides. At the very top of the gable, there is a small tower called a bell turret. This turret has openings for sound and holds two bells. One bell weighs about 55 kilograms, and the other weighs about 77 kilograms.
Inside the Church
Inside, a special screen and a painted wooden panel, called a tympanum, separate the nave from the chancel. This is quite rare in Cheshire. The screen has simple upright wooden posts. The tympanum is known for being one of the most colorful of its kind in England. It shows the date 1663. In the middle, you can see the royal arms of King Charles II. Below that are the coat of arms of the Mainwaring family. On each side of these arms, there are two panels. These panels display the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer. The coat of arms was cleaned and fixed in 2007.
The roof of the nave is from the Middle Ages. It is built with strong, curved wooden beams. The rails around the altar are dated 1701. At the west end of the church, there is a gallery from the Georgian era. In the main part of the church, there are box pews, which are like enclosed seating areas. There is also a tall, three-level pulpit where sermons are given.
In the chancel, there is a large monument dedicated to Sir Thomas Mainwaring, who passed away in 1726. This monument is decorated with small, cherub-like figures called putti and the family's coat of arms. Up in the gallery, there are two panels on the wall. These panels list people who left money in their wills to help the poor people of the parish. The church's records of baptisms, marriages, and burials (called parish registers) start from 1597. The records of the church's finances (called churchwardens' accounts) begin in 1636. The font, which is used for baptisms, is shown in an old picture of the church from 1806. It marks where the original entrance used to be before the porch was built in the west wall.
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
