St Paul's Church, Seacombe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Paul's Church, Seacombe |
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St Paul's Church, Seacombe, during reconstruction of the spire
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| OS grid reference | SJ 323 908 |
| Location | Church Crescent, Seacombe, Wallasey, Wirral, Merseyside |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical |
| Website | St Paul, Seacombe |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedicated | 12 October 1847 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 12 March 2009 |
| Architect(s) | John Hay |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1846 |
| Completed | 1891 |
| Specifications | |
| Spire height | 110 feet (33.5 m) |
| Materials | Sandstone, slate roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Paul, Seacombe |
| Deanery | Wallasey |
| Archdeaconry | Chester |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
St Paul's Church is an active Anglican church located in Seacombe, Wallasey, in Merseyside, England. It is a parish church, which means it serves a specific local area. The church is part of the diocese of Chester and is recognized as a Grade II listed building, meaning it is an important historic place.
Contents
History of St Paul's Church
Before the 1800s, Seacombe was mostly a farming area. But in the 1840s, rich business people from Liverpool started building big homes there. St Paul's Church was built early on, meant for both the farmers and the new wealthy families.
The church stands in a noticeable spot, on a raised area looking over the ferry terminal. It was built between 1846 and 1847. The design was created by John Hay, an architect from Liverpool. The church was officially opened on 12 October 1847. Its tall spire was finished in 1849.
Over the years, parts of the church were added:
- In 1859, the south aisle was built.
- In 1891, the north aisle, a special area called the Lady Chapel, and a west gallery were added.
During the Second World War, the front part of the church was damaged by bombs and had to be rebuilt. Later, in the mid-1900s, the church's spire became unsafe. The top 20 feet (6.1 m) were taken down. They were replaced with a unique "crown of thorns" design made by Cammell Laird, a famous shipbuilding company.
More recently, in 2013–2014, the spire was carefully taken apart. A new strong stainless steel frame was put inside. The original stones were used again up to the old height, and new materials were added to make the spire as tall as it was when first built.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
St Paul's Church is built from sandstone and has roofs made of Welsh slate. Its style looks like churches built around the year 1300. The church has a long main area called a nave with seven sections. It also has a south aisle, a south porch, a north aisle, and a north transept (a part that sticks out like an arm of a cross) where the Lady Chapel is. There is a two-section chancel (the area around the altar), a north vestry (a room for clergy), and a tall steeple at the northwest corner.
Around the church, you can see buttresses, which are supports built into the walls. Between these supports are tall, pointed windows. These windows have beautiful stone patterns called tracery, which can be geometric (like shapes) or curvilinear (like curves). The window at the east end has three sections, and the window at the west end has four sections with a small three-leaf window above it. Along the roof of the south aisle are small, gabled windows called dormers. The south porch has a pointed roof and contains stone benches and narrow windows. At the west end, there is a hexagonal (six-sided) stair tower that leads up to the west gallery inside.
The steeple has a three-part tower and a spire. The tower has a main door on the west side. At the top of the tower are pointed decorations called pinnacles and small gables. The very top of the spire is the new material added during its recent rebuilding.
Inside the Church
The inside walls of St Paul's Church are plastered. Between the nave and the aisles are five-section arcades (rows of arches). These arches are supported by piers (strong columns) that look like clusters of smaller columns, with carved tops called capitals.
The roof of the nave has a special design called "scissor-braced trusses" with hanging decorations. It is held up by corbels, which are carved stone supports shaped like angels. The arch leading to the chancel is decorated with moulding. The chancel ceiling is made of painted panels, and around the lower part of the chancel walls is a painted dado (a decorative panel).
The stone pulpit (where sermons are given) is to the left of the chancel arch. It has marble columns and is carved with symbols like Alpha and Omega (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet) and the IHS Christogram (a symbol for Jesus). The sandstone font, used for baptisms, is from the early 1900s. The church's organ was made by a famous company called Henry Willis & Sons.
Why St Paul's is Important
St Paul's Church was officially named a Grade II listed building on 12 March 2009. Grade II is the lowest of the three levels of listing, given to buildings that are "nationally important and of special interest."
One reason the church is important is its history. It served as a helpful landmark for ships sailing on the River Mersey during the mid-to-late 1800s. Its prominent location and tall spire made it easy to spot from the water.
See also
- Listed buildings in Wallasey
