St Peter's Church, Plemstall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, Plemstall
St Peter's Church, Plemstall, from the southwest
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OS grid reference	SJ 456 701
Location	Mickle Trafford, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	https://www.guildensutton-plemstall.church/
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	St Peter
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	1 June 1967
Architectural type	Church
Style	Perpendicular, Gothic Revival
Specifications
Materials	Red sandstone Welsh slate roof
Administration
Parish	Plemstall
Deanery	Chester
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St Peter's Church, Plemstall is an old church located on a quiet lane near Mickle Trafford in Cheshire, England. It's a very important building, officially recognized as a Grade I listed building. This means it has special historical or architectural value. The church is still active today, serving as an Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester. It also works together with St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton.

A Look at St Peter's Church History

The story of St Peter's Church goes back a long way, to the 7th century. People believe the church stands where Plegmund lived as a hermit in the 9th century. He later became the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The area around the church used to be a marsh. The church itself is on a small hill, once called "The Isle of Chester." The first church here was built in the 12th century. However, most of the building you see today was built in the 15th century. A local family, the Traffords, helped pay for this.

Changes Over the Years

A tower was added to the west side of the church in 1826. Records show the church was repaired many times, including in 1684, 1711, 1802–03, and 1819.

In 1958, the roof was replaced because of woodworm. Electric lights were put in during 1966, and central heating in 1968. More recently, a toilet and an entrance for disabled people were added. In 2006, new lighting was installed. Also, some old benches were removed from the Barnston Chapel and replaced with modern chairs.

Exploring the Church's Design

Outside the Church

St Peter's Church is built from red sandstone and has a roof made of Welsh slate. Its style is called late Perpendicular, which is a type of Gothic architecture.

The church has a long main area called a nave and a chancel. There's also a north aisle with a chapel at its end, and a south porch. The tower has decorative bands and a parapet with pointed decorations called finials. The porch was added in the 16th century. It has grooves that once held barriers to stop farm animals from wandering into the church!

Inside the Church

Inside, the church has a hammerbeam roof, which has been repaired many times. A vicar named Rev. Joseph Hooker Toogood, who was in charge from 1907 to 1946, created much of the wooden artwork inside.

He made improvements to the screen that separates the chancel. He also crafted a new altar, the decorative screen behind it (called a reredos), and the wood panels in the sanctuary. Later, he made the lectern (where readings are given) and improved the baptistry, including a new cover for the font. He also worked on the choir stalls and made figures for the sanctuary niches and an alms box. He even carved lists of church helpers and a war memorial.

The Barnston Chapel

The chapel at the east end of the north aisle is known as the Barnston Chapel. It was first called the Trafford Chapel and was where the Trafford family was buried. The lower part of the chapel screen was carved to remember William de Trafford, who was a vicar from 1403 to 1422. The altar in this chapel is from the Elizabethan period and was originally the church's main altar. On the north wall, you can see the family crests of the Trafford, Barnston, and Savage families. You can even access the Hurleston family tomb under the altar steps.

Other Interesting Features

The altar rails, which are like a fence around the altar, are from the 18th century. The lower wood panels in the chancel are from the 15th century. To the right of the altar, there's a carved list of all the rectors (church leaders) since 1291.

The font might be from the 16th century. Its cover has a carving of the Madonna and Child made by Rev Toogood. In the north aisle, you'll find a tall, three-level pulpit (where sermons are given) and a two-level reader's desk from 1722. The churchwarden's pew, dated 1697, is over 2.1 meters tall with a fancy back and a canopy.

The church organ was built in 1873 by Charles Whiteley from Chester. It was repaired in 2003. A gold-painted sign honoring Rev. Toogood hangs near the church door. Some windows still have small pieces of glass from as far back as the 14th century.

The church has three bells. One is from 1635, and the other two are from 1663. The church's official records, called parish registers, start in 1558. The records of the churchwardens (church helpers) begin in 1749. In 1945, a historian named Raymond Richards gave the church five old Bibles. These include a Breeches Bible from 1608 and a King James Bible from 1611. They are kept in a display case.

Outside the Church Grounds

The Hurleston tomb

At the east end of the church, you'll find a vault and a tomb for the Hurleston family. These date from around 1670, with a memorial plaque from 1727. The vault cover has a fancy tombchest with carved skeletons on its sides. This tomb is also a very important listed building, rated Grade II*.

Other interesting items in the churchyard are also listed as Grade II. There's a tall cenotaph (a monument to someone buried elsewhere) for Thomas Cawley and others, dated 1795. An 18th-century sundial from 1730 also stands there. The west wall and the gate of the churchyard, made of stone and wrought iron, are from the 19th century.

See also

• St Plegmund's well
• Grade I listed buildings in Cheshire West and Chester
• Grade I listed churches in Cheshire
• Listed buildings in Mickle Trafford