St Werburgh's Church, Chester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Werburgh's Church, Chester
East end of St Werburgh's Church, Chester
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OS grid reference	SJ 411 664
Location	Grosvenor Park Road, Chester, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	St Werburgh, Chester
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Werburgh
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	2 July 1998
Architect(s)	Edmund Kirby
Architectural type	Church
Style	French Gothic
Groundbreaking	1873
Completed	1914
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone, slate roofs
Administration
Diocese	Shrewsbury

St Werburgh's Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Chester, Cheshire, England. It is a busy local church that is part of the diocese of Shrewsbury. The church is also a special "Grade II listed building." This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.

It's important not to confuse this church with the much older Abbey of St Werburgh. That abbey was built in 1093 and later became Chester Cathedral.

History of St Werburgh's Church

A church named after Saint Werburgh first opened in Chester in 1799 on Queen Street. The church you see today was built later, between 1873 and 1875. It was designed by an architect named Edmund Kirby.

Even before the church was officially opened, a very important church leader, Cardinal Manning, held a special service there on Christmas Day in 1875. The church officially opened on July 13, 1876, with a big service called a Pontifical High Mass. This was the first time such a service had happened in Chester in 300 years!

The original plan for the church included a tall steeple, but it was never built. Later, in 1913–1914, a new entrance area called a narthex was added, also designed by Kirby. In 2002, the inside of the church was updated and rearranged. Another important church leader, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, came to re-dedicate it in May of that year. This was the first time a cardinal had visited Chester in over 100 years!

Church Design and Look

Outside the Church

St Werburgh's Church is built from light brown sandstone and has grey slate roofs. Usually, the altar in a church is at the east end, but here it's at the west end.

The church has a main area called the nave and the special area around the altar, called the sanctuary. These two parts are together, with a rounded end called an apse. There are also side walkways, known as aisles, and a row of windows high up on the walls, called a clerestory.

The church is built in the French Gothic style. This means it has tall, narrow windows with pointed tops, called lancet windows. The main entrance is at the east end and has two doors. Above the doors, there's a statue of St Werburgh. The sides of the church have pairs of these lancet windows between strong supports called buttresses. The high walls of the clerestory each have 15 lancet windows.

Inside the Church

Inside, the main arches of the church are supported by alternating round and eight-sided pillars. There's a large pulpit (where sermons are given) from 1895. You'll also see a hanging rood cross from 1933.

The beautiful stained glass windows include seven made by a company called Hardman in 1927. In the narthex (the entrance area), there are eight smaller windows from 1936 by Trena Cox.

The church's first organ was built in 1882. It had two keyboards. In 2004, a new, larger organ was installed. This organ was built in 1924 by J. J. Binns and was moved from another church in Glasgow. It has three keyboards!

Church Leaders

The current priest at St Werburgh's Church is Father Paul Shaw.

See Also

• Grade II listed buildings in Chester (east)