St Michael's Church, Chester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's Church, Chester |
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St Michael's Church, Chester, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | SJ 406,661 |
| Location | Corner of Bridge Street and Pepper Street, Chester |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Redundant |
| Dedication | Saint Michael |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Heritage centre |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 28 July 1955 |
| Architect(s) | James Harrison |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Closed | 1972 |
| Specifications | |
| Spire height | 70 feet (21 m) |
| Materials | Yellow sandstone, Grey slate roof |
St Michael's Church is an old church building in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. You can find it at the corner of Bridge Street and Pepper Street. It's a special building because it's listed as Grade II on the National Heritage List for England, which means it's important and protected.
This building is no longer used as a church. For a while, it was a heritage centre, a place where you could learn about history. In 2019, it became Chester: A Life Story, which showed the history of Chester and its people over 2,000 years. Then, in 2021, it opened as Sick To Death. This is a fun and educational attraction that explores the history of medicine and how people understood health and sickness through time.
History of St Michael's Church
The story of St Michael's Church goes back a long way.
- Early Beginnings: A church on this very spot was sadly burned down in the big fire of Chester in 1188. We don't know exactly when the first stone church was built here.
- Building and Rebuilding: The part of the church called the chancel was built in 1496. Records from the church leaders show that most of the church was rebuilt in 1582.
- During the Siege: In the 1640s, during the Siege of Chester, the church was used as a prison. Imagine that!
- Changes Over Time: In 1678, the chancel was made wider. Then, in 1710, a tall steeple was added, standing about 70 feet (21 meters) high.
- Victorian Rebuild: A lot of the church was rebuilt again between 1849 and 1850 by an architect named James Harrison.
- Becoming a Heritage Centre: The church stopped being used for regular services in 1972. Chester City Council bought it, and in 1975, it opened as the first heritage centre in Britain. This was a new idea at the time!
- Old Records: The church's old parish registers, which are records of births, marriages, and deaths, have survived all the way from 1560.
Architecture and Design
St Michael's Church is built from yellow sandstone with a grey slate roof. It has a main tower at the west end, a long main hall called a nave, a side section called a north aisle, and the chancel at the east end.
The Tower
The tower has three main parts, or stages.
- Ground Level: The south end of Bridge Street Row actually passes right through the bottom part of the tower! There are stone steps leading up to the Row on one side and down to the pavement on the other.
- Middle Section: The second part of the tower has windows with two lights (sections). On the west side, there's a clock face, and on the south side, there's a blank panel where a clock face could be.
- Top Section: The third part has openings for bells. Above these, there's a decorative band of stone called a string course with gargoyles sticking out.
- Roofline: At the very top, the tower has a crenellated parapet (a wall with gaps like a castle). It also has eight crocketed pinnacles (small, pointed towers) and a wind vane.
Other Features
- The south wall of the church also has a crenellated top.
- On the chancel gable (the triangular part of the wall at the end of the roof), there's a finial cross, which is a decorative carving.
- Inside, you can still see the 15th-century north arcade (a row of arches) with octagonal piers (thick columns). The roof of the chancel, built in 1496, has also been kept.
- There's a special monument inside the church for Roger Comberbach, who died in 1771. It was made by an artist named Benjamin Bromfield.
- The beautiful stained glass window at the east end of the north aisle was created by a famous company called Clayton and Bell.
See also
- Grade II listed buildings in Chester (central)
- List of works by James Harrison
