St Paul's Church, Boughton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Paul's Church, Boughton |
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St Paul's Church, Boughton, from the southeast
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| OS grid reference | SJ 418 665 |
| Location | Chester, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Open Evangelical Charismatic |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Defunct |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 10 January 1972 |
| Architect(s) | John Douglas |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1905 |
| Closed | 2016 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red brick with stone dressings; timber framing Slate roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Paul, Chester |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
St Paul's Church is a historic building in Boughton, Chester, Cheshire, England. It stands overlooking the River Dee. This church is very important, so it is listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is a particularly important building of more than special interest.
Before it closed, St Paul's was an Anglican parish church. It belonged to the diocese of Chester. A famous expert on buildings, Nikolaus Pevsner, once said it was "the boldest of Douglas' church designs." This means he thought it was the most daring and impressive church designed by its architect, John Douglas.
Sadly, the church closed in 2016 because it was in very bad condition. The Diocese decided it needed too many repairs. In 2016, the Victorian Society even named it one of the "Top Ten Heritage Buildings at Risk."
Contents
The Church's Story
The very first church on this spot was built in 1830. It was made of brick covered in a smooth plaster called stucco. Its design was in the Italianate style, which means it looked a bit like buildings from Italy. It had round-headed windows and a tall, square bell tower (called a campanile) on its northwest side. The architect for this first church was William Cole the younger.
Later, in 1876, the church was almost completely rebuilt. This time, the famous architect John Douglas designed the changes. He added a south aisle (a side part of the church) in 1902. The tall, pointed roof part called a spire was added in 1905.
What the Church Looks Like
Outside the Church
St Paul's Church is built using red bricks with special stone decorations. Some parts also use timber framing, which means wooden beams with brick and plaster filling. The roof is made of grey and grey-green slate tiles.
The church's shape includes a long main hall called a nave and a chancel (the area near the altar). These two parts are connected and have four sections, plus a rounded end called an apse. There is also a south aisle, a porch at the west end, and a broach spire (a type of spire that rises from a square tower) at the west end. Most of the windows are lancets, which are tall and narrow with pointed tops.
Inside the Church
Inside, the church is known for its beautiful wooden parts. Nikolaus Pevsner, the building expert, said that the strength of the inside comes from its timber-work. The walls have special patterns painted on them using stencils, in a style called Arts and Crafts.
You can also see a fancy screen made of wrought iron inside, which was designed by John Douglas. The church has many beautiful stained glass windows. Some of the stained glass in the north aisle, made in 1887, is by an artist named Kempe. The glass in the baptistry (where baptisms happen) is by Frampton.
Most of the other stained glass was made by a company called Morris & Co.. Some of these windows were designed by famous artists like Burne-Jones and Morris himself. The newest windows, from 1925 to 1927, were made by Henry Dearle.
There is also a reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) that was put in place in 1920 as a war memorial. It was made by H. G. Hiller. You can also find a monument from the older church, which dates back to 1845. The church also had a large organ with three keyboards, built by James J. Binns of Leeds.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire West and Chester
- List of church restorations, amendments and furniture by John Douglas
