St Peter's Church, Minshull Vernon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, Minshull Vernon |
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St Peter's Church, Minshull Vernon, from the northeast
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| OS grid reference | SJ 682 594 |
| Location | Middlewich Road, Minshull Vernon, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Peter's Church, Leighton-cum-Minshull Vernon |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Peter |
| Consecrated | 12 December 1849 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 20 December 1983 |
| Architect(s) | John Matthews |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1847 |
| Completed | 1849 |
| Construction cost | £1,700 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone, slate roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Leighton-cum-Minshull Vernon |
| Deanery | Nantwich |
| Archdeaconry | Macclesfield |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
St Peter's Church is a beautiful old church located on Middlewich Road in Minshull Vernon, Cheshire, England. It's an active Anglican church, which means it's part of the Church of England. It serves the local community as a parish church.
This church is very important! It's listed as a Grade I building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a special historic place. St Peter's was also a "Commissioners' church," which means it received money from a special fund to help build it.
Contents
The Church's Story: How it Began
The area of Minshull Vernon became its own church parish in 1840. Before the current church, there was an older one. This first church was located closer to where Leighton Hospital is now. Sadly, that church was damaged by a fire and had to be taken down.
St Peter's Church was built between 1847 and 1849. It was designed by an architect named John Matthews. The church was officially opened and blessed on December 12, 1849. The total cost to build it was about £1,700. A special group called the Church Building Commission gave £150 towards its construction.
Over the years, the church has had some additions:
- In 1903, a north transept (a part of the church that sticks out) was added to hold the organ.
- This transept was made even bigger in 1913 by Harold Sheldon.
- Electricity was installed in the church in 1959, bringing modern lighting.
- A new vestry (a room where clergy get ready) was added to the west end of the church in 1966.
What the Church Looks Like Inside and Out
St Peter's Church is built from stone and has roofs made of slate. The church has a main area called the nave with four sections. It also has a porch on the north side. The chancel, which is the area near the altar, is a bit narrower and lower than the nave.
There's a north transept for the organ and a south vestry. On the west end of the church, there's a double bellcote, which is a small structure holding the church bells. Most of the windows are tall, narrow windows called lancets. At the east end, there are three lancet windows together.
Inside the church, you'll find:
- An oak pulpit, where sermons are given.
- A lectern shaped like an eagle, used for reading lessons.
- On the north wall of the chancel, there's a trefoil-headed sedilia, which are seats for the clergy.
- The choir benches have carvings called poppyheads.
The church also has beautiful stained glass windows:
- The stained glass in the east window was put in back in 1879.
- Glass from a different church in Cheadle was moved to the north window of the chancel in 1974.
- A small stained glass window was added above the chancel arch to celebrate the millennium (the year 2000).
- In 2016, seven more stained glass windows were added. These came from another church in Cheadle that was no longer in use. These new windows and the refurbished choir vestry were dedicated by the Bishop of Chester on July 3, 2016. This was also the 50th anniversary of the vestry's original dedication.
The church's pipe organ was built in 1847 by Wadsworth. It has three manuals, which are like keyboards for the organist.
The Churchyard
The churchyard is the area around the church. It contains a war grave for a soldier from World War I. This grave is located to the east of the church.
See also
- Listed buildings in Minshull Vernon
