St Luke's Church, Farnworth, Widnes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

St Luke's Church, Farnworth, Widnes is a parish church which dates back to the 12th century.

Contents 1 History 2 External features 2.1 Porch 2.2 Tower 2.3 Sundial 2.4 Churchyard cross 2.5 Gargoyles 3 The interior 3.1 Nave 3.1.1 Font 3.1.2 Royal Coat of Arms 3.1.3 Lectern 3.1.4 Pulpit 3.1.5 Stained glass 3.1.6 Hatchments 3.2 Chancel and sanctuary 3.2.1 High altar 3.2.2 Reredos 3.3 Bold chapel 3.3.1 Memorials 3.3.2 Sham bookcase 3.4 Cuerdley chapel 4 The legend of the griffin 5 Reference 6 Further reading 7 See also

[edit] History

Farnworth is an ancient village some two miles north of the River Mersey in what used to be the county of Lancashire. It has now been subsumed into the town of Widnes in the borough of Halton. Around 1180 a chapel was built in the village which was dedicated to St Wilfrid. At that time the village was known as St Wilfrids-on-the-Hill. It was a chapelry of the town of Prescot and within its boundaries were the townships of Bold, Cronton, Cuerdley, Ditton, Penketh and Sankey. Originally it was within the Mercian diocese of Lichfield but following the dissolution of the monasteries in 1541 the abbey at Chester was converted into a cathedral and Farnworth became part of the diocese of Chester. In 1859 the church was re-dedicated to St Luke.

Over the years the church has had a number of benefactors, one of the earliest being Yorfrid the first (and in its own right the only) Baron of Widnes (the barony passed to the Barons of Halton when his dauhgter married William FitzNigel, the 3rd Baron of Halton). Since then, over the centuries, the main benefactors have been the Bold family of the nearby township of Bold.

There have been many changes to the church, internally and externally, over the centuries. The first extension was about 1280-1300 when the north aisle was added. Between 1360 and 1380 the south aisle was added and around this time the tower was also built. The Bold Chantry (or Chapel) was added in 1406 and in 1431 the east end was extended. In 1500 the Cuerdley chapel was added to the south of the church. At a restoration in 1855 galleries were built and the organ was moved into the gallery on the west wall. The last major internal restoration took place in 1894-1895 when the galleries were removed, the plaster was stripped from the walls and various other repairs and restorations were performed.

[edit] External features

[edit] Porch

Constructed in the late 14th century. It has stone seats and memorials on the walls to both World Wars.

[edit] Tower

This was probably built in 1360-80. Within it is a spiral staircase and niches give some illumination. It holds a peal of bells and there is a clock, its face being on the south wall.

[edit] Sundial

The sundial was formerly in the garden of Bold Hall and was given to the church when the New Hall was demolished in 1899.

[edit] Churchyard cross

To the south of the church, between the porch and the Cuerdley chapel is a stone column some 9 feet in height which originally bore a cross.

[edit] Gargoyles

Around the church can be seen a number of gargoyles of various types.

[edit] The interior

[edit] Nave

[edit] Font

The octagonal font is made from local sandstone. It has been dated to around 1280. It was placed on a circular plinth during the 1894-5 restoration.

[edit] Royal Coat of Arms

The royal coat of arms of Charles II hangs in the nave.

[edit] Lectern

The lectern was a gift at the 1894-5 restoration. It is unusual in that it is a double desk which revolves.

[edit] Pulpit

The pulpit was again a gift at the 1894-5 restoration. It is made of oak and is richly carved.

[edit] Stained glass

There is a considerable variety of stained glass in various windows. Perhaps the most notable is the window at the far west of the north aisle which is by William Morris. It depicts the scene of the fiery furnace in the book of Daniel.

[edit] Hatchments

One of the remarkable features of the interior is the number of hatchments on the walls of the nave. In chronological order these are of:

1. Peter Bold (1702-1762)
2. Anna Maria Bold, widow of Peter Bold (died 1792)
3. Anna Maria Bold, daughter of Peter and Anna Maria Bold (1733-1813)
4. Peter Patten Bold (died 1819)
5. Dorothea Patten Bold, younger daughter of Peter Patten Bold (died 1840). She married Sir Henry Hoghton of Hoghton Tower, Lancashire, who was granted by Royal licence to take the surname of Bold before that of Hoghton.
6. Aline, second wife of Sir Henry Hoghton

[edit] Chancel and sanctuary

[edit] High altar

The altar is made from wood taken from the rood screen which was taken down at the Reformation.

[edit] Reredos

The reredos is made of carved oak which was originally in the Cuerdley chapel.

[edit] Bold chapel

This richly ornamented chapel lies at the east end of the north aisle. It is divided from the nave by a 19th century screen of carved pine. Beneath the chapel is a crypt containing the tombs of the Bold family.

[edit] Memorials

It contains a number of effigies and memorials, including:

• The most ancient effigy is that of a knight in plate armour and is thought to represent either Richard Bold or Sir John de Bold. This figure is now in a recumbent position but prior to the restoration of 1855 it stood upright.
• Richard Bold (died 1635) and Anna (née Legh) his wife. Their effigies are on the north wall behind the altar rail.
• Richard Bold (died 1704), monument high on the north wall.
• Peter Bold (1703-1762)
• Anna Maria Bold (died 1813), eldest daughter of Peter Bold.
• Peter Patten Bold (died 1819). A memorial by Chantery with a female figure weeping over a sarcophagus on the nave side of the chapel.
• Mary Patten Bold (1770-1835), wife of the above, over the apex of a window on the north wall.
• Mary, Princess Sapieha (1795-1824). Died from tuberculosis only 2 years after her marriage. A beautiful piece of sculpture representing her deathbed.
• Dorothea Patten Bold (died 1840), again on the north wall.
• Aline Hoghton (1830-1852), a recumbant effigy.

[edit] Sham bookcase

This was in fact a door in Bold New Hall which is painted to resemble five shelves filled with books. It was also given to the church when the hall was demolished.

[edit] Cuerdley chapel

This chapel, on the south side of the church, was provided in 1500 by Bishop William Smyth. At that time plague was prevalent in the area and this allowed the people of Cuerdley to attend mass without coming into contact with the people of Farnworth. The name of the founder is recorded in stone on the south wall. Its doorway was blocked up at the 1855 restoration.

[edit] The legend of the griffin

This tells the story of how a griffin was terrorising the people and the animals of the area. The village blacksmith was persuaded to fight it. This he did and after a long struggle he was victorious and killed it. He was acclaimed as a hero by the people and given the name of "The Bold". This is said to be the origin of the family name of Bold and the griffin appears on all the family's heraldic decorations.

[edit] Reference

Foster, Alan, A History of Farnworth Church, its Parish and Village, 1981.

[edit] Further reading

• Diggle, Rev. G. E., A History of Widnes, Corporation of Widnes, 1961.
• Whimperley, Arthur, Widnes through the Ages, Halton Borough Council, 1991.

[edit] See also

• William Smyth (c.1460-1514 Bishop of Lincoln)
• Richard Barnes (1532-1587 Bishop of Durham)
• Richard Bancroft (1544-1610 Archbishop of Canterbury)

The above three men were born in or near the village of Farnworth.

• Widnes