St Nicholas Church, Burton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Nicholas Church, Burton |
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St Nicholas Church from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | SJ 317 744 |
| Location | Burton, Ellesmere Port and Neston, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Nicholas, Burton |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 27 December 1962 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Completed | 1870 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red sandstone Grey slate roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Burton |
| Deanery | Wirral South |
| Archdeaconry | Chester |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
St Nicholas Church is located in the village of Burton, in Cheshire, England. It's a very important historical building, protected by law as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's considered a building of special interest. St Nicholas is an active Anglican parish church, which means it's part of the Church of England and serves the local community. It shares its priest with St Michael's Church in Shotwick.
Contents
History of St Nicholas Church
Did you know parts of an even older church from the 1100s were found here? These old Norman stones were dug up in the churchyard. Today, you can see them preserved in the church's porch and under the tower.
Most of the church you see today was built in 1721. However, one special part, the Massey chapel, is much older. It was built way back in 1380. The chancel, which is the area around the altar, was rebuilt later in 1870.
What Does St Nicholas Church Look Like?
Outside the Church
The church stands high up, looking over the village houses. You walk through old Georgian gate posts to reach it. The church is built from red sandstone and has grey slate roofs.
The church has a tall tower at the west end. It also has a main hall called a nave, a chancel (the area near the altar), a north aisle, and a small room called a vestry. The old Massey chapel is at the east end of the aisle.
The tower has four levels. There are doors on the north and south sides. Above the south door, you'll see a window with a rounded top. Above that, there's a clock with only one hand! The windows in the bell tower have special slatted covers called louvres. At the very top of the tower, there's a decorative edge called a cornice and a solid wall called a parapet.
On the outside, between the nave and chancel, there's a buttress with many steps. This helps support the wall. Look closely at one of the tower walls, and you might spot a coffin lid from the 1200s. It's decorated with a cross that looks like a plant.
Inside the Church
When you go inside, you'll see a large, plain font used for baptisms. It has a fancy Gothic oak cover. The rails around the altar are from the Jacobean period and have interesting twisted and turned wooden posts. The special chair in the sanctuary area dates back to the time of King Charles II.
The beautiful stained glass in the east window of the chancel was made by a famous artist named Kempe. There are also two memorials to the Massey family. One is made of marble from 1579, and the other is made of alabaster from 1794.
You can also find a hatchment in the church. This is a special painting of a family crest that was displayed after someone died. This one belongs to the Congreve family, and there are other memorials to them too. One memorial for Richard Congreve, who died in 1820, was made by S. Gibson and shows a small crying angel figure called a putto.
The church's organ was built around 1935 and was updated in 1985. The church has a set of six bells. Five of these bells were made in 1724, and the sixth bell, from 1896, was made by a different company. The church's parish registers, which record births, deaths, and marriages, go all the way back to 1538!
Churchyard Features
Outside in the churchyard, there are several interesting historical items. You'll find a group of 18 chest tombs and eight raised grave slabs, which are also protected as Grade II listed items.
There's also an 18th-century red sandstone sundial. It has a pillar shaped like a vase on a square base. In the churchyard, you can also find the war grave of a soldier from the First World War who was part of the Royal Engineers.
See Also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire West and Chester
- Listed buildings in Burton, Neston, Cheshire
