St Michael's Church, Bootle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's Church, Bootle |
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St Michael's Church, Bootle, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | SD 107,884 |
| Location | Bootle, Cumbria |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Michael, Bootle |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Michael |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 8 September 1967 |
| Architect(s) | H. J. Underwood (transepts) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone, slate roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Bootle |
| Deanery | Calder |
| Archdeaconry | West Cumberland |
| Diocese | Carlisle |
| Province | York |
St Michael's Church is a historic church located in the small village of Bootle, in Cumbria, England. It is an active church that belongs to the Church of England. This means it still holds regular services and is an important part of the local community.
The church is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building. This special status means it is an important historic building that needs to be protected. It was given this protection on September 8, 1967.
Contents
The Church's Story: How it Grew
St Michael's Church has a long history, starting way back in the medieval period. Over the years, it has been changed and updated many times. Most of these changes happened in the 1800s.
Early Changes in the 1800s
In 1837, new parts called transepts were added to the church. These are the parts that stick out from the sides, making the church look like a cross from above. An architect named H. J. Underwood designed these additions. He also made sure the windows in the main part of the church, called the nave, matched the new transept windows.
Soon after 1850, work began on building the church's tower. The top part of the tower, where the bells are kept (called the belfry), was finished in 1882.
Big Renovation in the 1890s
The church had a major renovation between 1890 and 1891. This work was done by famous architects from Lancaster called Paley, Austin and Paley. During this time, they made the walls of the chancel (the area around the altar) and the vestry (a room for clergy) taller.
They also added a special room for the organ and another vestry on the north side of the church. The old plaster (called render) was removed from the outside walls. Inside, new seats, roofs, and floors were put in. All the windows were replaced with new glass, and the tower was finally completed.
Looking at the Church's Design
St Michael's Church is built from stone. The main walls are made of rough stones, but the decorative parts use smoother, cut stones called ashlar. The roof is made of slate.
Outside Features
The church has a cross-shaped design. It has a main section (the nave), two side sections (transepts), a chancel at the east end, and a tower at the west end.
The tower has strong corner supports called buttresses. On the west side of the tower, there is a main entrance doorway. Above this are two tall, narrow windows (called lancet windows) and a clock. The bell openings in the tower have pairs of louvered lancet windows, which let sound out but keep birds away. The top of the tower has a decorative band (a frieze) and a flat top (a parapet) with pointed decorations (called pinnacles) at the corners. A pointed roof sits on top of the tower, with a cross at its very peak.
The nave has simple lancet windows. The transepts have groups of three lancet windows that step up in height, with single lancets on their sides. The large east window has a rounded top and three sections of glass. Above it is a pointed roof section (a gable) with a cross.
Inside Features
Inside the church, you'll find arches leading into the transepts. The arch leading to the chancel is round and has a double chamfer (a beveled edge).
The font, used for baptisms, is shaped like an octagon. It sits on a base from the 1800s. The font is decorated with carvings of shields, the initials "R. B.", and a family symbol (a coat of arms) belonging to the Hudleston family. It also has an old inscription written in black letters.
In the chancel, there is a piscina (a basin for washing communion vessels) set in a 19th-century frame. You can also see a brass plaque dedicated to Sir Hugh Askew, who passed away in 1561.
The church has beautiful stained glass windows. The east window was made by a company called Hardman. A window in the north wall of the chancel, dated 1899, was designed by Henry Holiday. The windows in the transepts were made by Ward and Hughes in the mid-1880s.
The church organ has two keyboards (called manuals). It was built around 1890 by Gray and Davison and later fixed up in 1945 by Wilkinson.
Things Outside the Church
In the churchyard, there is an old sundial made of smooth stone. It has three round steps and a decorative pillar (a baluster shaft). This sundial probably dates back to the 1700s and is also a Grade II listed building.
You can also find a carved headstone monument from 1780 in the churchyard, which is also listed as Grade II. The churchyard cross, built in 1897, was designed by the same architects who renovated the church, Paley, Austin and Paley.
See also
- List of works by Paley, Austin and Paley
