St Werburgh's Church, Warburton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old Warburton Church |
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Warburton Old Church
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| OS grid reference | SJ 696,896 |
| Location | Warburton, Greater Manchester |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | The Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Werburgh |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 5 March 1959 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Timber framing, sandstone, brick Roof of Kerridge stone slabs |
St Werburgh's Church refers to two different churches in the village of Warburton, Greater Manchester, England. The older church is west of the village. It might have been built as early as the mid-13th century. Today, it is a redundant church, meaning it is no longer used for regular services. However, special services are still held there in the summer. This old church is a Grade I listed building, which means it is a very important historical site. Some experts have called it "a lovable muddle" because of its many changes over time.
The newer church was built between 1883 and 1885. It is located southeast of the village on the A6144 road. This church is a Grade II listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church, still used for regular worship. It is part of the diocese of Chester.
Both churches are dedicated to Werburgh, an Anglo-Saxon saint. She is the patron saint of Chester. Werburgh was the daughter of Wulfhere, the first Christian king of Mercia. She died around AD 700. She was an Abbess of Ely, caring for several nunneries. Her remains were later moved to an abbey in Chester. This abbey was then renamed after St Werburgh. The village of Warburton itself was once called Warburgtune in the Domesday survey of 1086, named after the saint.
Contents
The Old Church: A Look Back in Time
How the Old Church Changed Over Time
There might have been a Saxon church here even before the Normans arrived. Around 1187, a priory (a small monastery) was started on the site. However, it did not last long, and no trace of it remains. The church we see today probably started being built in the mid-1200s.
Towards the end of the 1500s, the chancel (the area around the altar) was updated. A pulpit, altar rails, and a communion table were added. In 1645, the church was changed a lot and made bigger. The south and west walls of the nave (the main part of the church) were rebuilt. The nave's roof was also made lower.
A small chapel and a vestry (a room for changing clothes and storing items) were added. These had stone foundations and timber framing (wooden frames) with wattle and daub (a mix of sticks and mud) walls. A stone extension was also added to the north side. In 1711, the east end of the chancel was rebuilt. A brick tower was also added to the east end of the church.
In 1722, a gallery was built inside. Wooden floors were put in during 1813. The old vestry became part of the church, and a new one was built. In 1857, the chancel floor got new tiles. The walls were painted with medieval designs. The wooden supports and the chancel ceiling were plastered. Stained glass was put into the windows, and the gallery was removed.
By 1880, the old church needed many repairs. Because of this, the new church was built. The old church then stopped being the main parish church. Repairs were done in 1894 for dry rot and in 1927 and 1958 for death watch beetle damage. In 1971, the church was given to the Redundant Churches Fund. This group later became the Churches Conservation Trust.
In October 2021, the church received money from the government's Culture Recovery Fund. This helped with its ongoing care.
What the Old Church Looks Like Outside
The church is built around a timber frame. Some of this original timber framing with wattle and daub infilling can still be seen in the north wall. The rest of the north wall, and the south and west walls, are made of sandstone. The chancel, south transept (a part of the church that crosses the nave), and vestry are made of brick. The tower is also brick and is unusually placed at the east end. The roof is made of Kerridge stone slabs. The chancel roof is about 3 feet (0.9 meters) lower than the nave roof. The tower has pairs of round-topped belfry windows on each side. It also has a stone cornice (a decorative molding) and six sugar loaf pinnacles (small pointed towers).
What the Old Church Looks Like Inside
The chancel has a wooden half-screen on three sides. This screen, the altar table, and the pulpit (where sermons are given) are from the 1600s. The pews (church benches) are from 1813. The font (for baptisms) is eight-sided. Its base has the year 1603 carved into it, and its pyramid-shaped cover says 1595. Inside the church, there is also a stone sarcophagus (a stone coffin) that might be from the early 1100s. There is one bell, which is dated 1575. The Parish registers (records of births, deaths, and marriages) start in 1611. They are complete from 1634 onwards. The stained glass in the east window was made by Wailes in 1857. The sanctuary floor has Minton tiles, also from 1857.
Features Around the Old Church
In the churchyard, there is a stone sundial from 1765. It has a copper dial and a gnomon (the part that casts the shadow). This sundial is a Grade II listed building. The lych gate (a covered gateway to the churchyard) is also Grade II listed. It is dated 1887 and has a timber frame with a slate roof.
| St Werburgh's Church, Warburton | |
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St Werburgh's Church, Warburton
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 St Werburgh's Church, Warburton
Location in Greater Manchester
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| 53°23′54″N 2°26′43″W / 53.3984°N 2.4454°W | |
| OS grid reference | SJ 705,892 |
| Location | Warburton Greater Manchester |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Werburgh, Warburton |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Werburgh |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 12 July 1985 |
| Architect(s) | John Douglas |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1882 |
| Completed | 1885 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red sandstone, Tiled roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Warburton |
| Deanery | Bowdon |
| Archdeaconry | Macclesfield |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
The New Church: A Modern Place of Worship
This church was built between 1883 and 1885. It was designed by the architect John Douglas from Chester. The church was built for Rowland Egerton-Warburton. It is made of red sandstone and has a tiled roof. The church has a nave with four sections and a north aisle (a side part of the church). It also has a south porch and a chancel with three sections. There is a tower in the northeast. The tower has three levels with diagonal buttresses (supports). It has two two-light belfry openings on each side. It also has castellations (like a castle wall) and corner pinnacles with crockets (hook-shaped decorations). The new church contains a font cover from 1595 and an oak chest. These items were moved from the old church. There is a ring of eight bells. They were cast in 1884 by John Taylor & Co.
More to Explore
- Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester
- Grade I listed churches in Greater Manchester
- Listed buildings in Warburton, Greater Manchester
- List of churches in Greater Manchester
- List of new churches by John Douglas
- List of church restorations, amendments and furniture by John Douglas
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Northern England
