St Mary's Church, Weaverham

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St Mary's Church, Weaverham

St Mary's Church, Weaverham
Basic information
Location Weaverham, Cheshire, England
Religious affiliation Anglican
District Diocese of Chester
Ecclesiastical status Parish church
Leadership Revs. Andrew and Jenny Brown, Vicars
Website St Mary's, Weaverham
Architectural description
Architect(s) Anthony Salvin
John Douglas
Architectural type Church
Architectural style Gothic, Gothic Revival
Specifications
Materials Red sandstone
Welsh slate roof

St Mary's Church, Weaverham is in the village of Weaverham, Cheshire, England (grid reference SJ616743). It is a grade I listed building.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

A church was present on the site at the time of the Norman conquest. Edward I gave the advowson of the vicarage to Vale Royal Abbey. After the Dissolution, this was given by Henry VIII to the Bishop of Chester.[2] The west tower dates from the middle of the 15th century and the rest of the church from the 16th century. Restorations were carried out in 1855 by Anthony Salvin and in 1877 by John Douglas when the porch and vestry were added.[1]

[edit] Structure

The church is built in red sandstone ashlar with a Welsh slate roof.[1] The plan of the church consists of a tower at the west end leading to a five-bay nave and chancel with no architectural division, and north and south aisles terminating in chapels. The church is wider at its west end than at the east end.[3] The chapel at the east end of the south aisle is the Wilbraham (formerly Grange) chapel and that at the east end of the north aisle is the Heath (formerly Crowton) Chapel.[2]

[edit] Fittings and furniture

Both chapels contain memorials to local families[2] and both chapels have screens dated 1636.[4] In the chancel is an 18th century chandelier. The octagonal font on a plain column has an ornate Jacobean wooden cover.[1] The chancel panelling has linenfold carving. The altar table is by Chippendale and has cabriole legs and claw feet. The altar rails, originally in the church were moved to become the back staircase of Hefferston Grange, but have now been restored in the church. The parish chest is early Georgian. The sanctuary chairs come from the William and Mary period.[2] The sidesmen's pew re-used wood from the previous three-decker pulpit which was dated 1774.[4] In the church is a stained glass window presented by John Douglas to commemorate his parents and his sisters.[5] The ring is of six bells dating from the 18th century. The parish registers begin in 1576 and the churchwardens' accounts in 1630. The silver communion plate includes a paten dated 1715.[2]

[edit] External features

In the churchyard are fragments of a Roman road.[2]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Images of England, accessed 5 August 2007
  2. ^ a b c d e f Richards, Raymond (1947). Old Cheshire Churches. London: Batsford, 345-348. 
  3. ^ Salter, Mark (1995). The Old Parish Churches of Cheshire. Malvern: Folly Publications, 78–79. ISBN 1871731232. 
  4. ^ a b Pevsner, Nikolaus; Edward Hubbard [1971] (2003). The Buildings of England: Cheshire. New Haven: Yale University Press, 377–378. ISBN 0 300 09588 0. 
  5. ^ King, Roger. John Douglas 1830–1911. Northwich and District Heritage Society, 3.