St Mary's Church, Handbridge

Last updated

St Mary's Church, Handbridge
St Mary's Handbridge.jpg
St Mary's Church, Handbridge
Cheshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
St Mary's Church, Handbridge
Location in Cheshire
53°10′58″N2°53′20″W / 53.1829°N 2.8889°W / 53.1829; -2.8889
OS grid reference SJ 406 655
Location Handbridge, Chester, Cheshire
CountryEngland
Denomination Anglican
Churchmanship Broad church
Website www.stmaryschester.co.uk
History
Status Parish church
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II*
Designated10 January 1972
Architect(s) F. B. Wade,
P. H. Lockwood
Architectural type Church
Style Gothic Revival
Completed1914
Specifications
Spire height168 feet (51.2 m)
Materials Red sandstone, slate roofs
Administration
Province York
Diocese Chester
Archdeaconry Chester
Deanery Chester
Parish St Mary without the Walls, Chester
Clergy
Rector Revd Dr R. P. Whaite
Assistant priest(s) Revd John Carhart,
Revd Dr Trevor Dennis,
Revd Maureen Pickering,
Laity
Director of music Michael Reynolds
Churchwarden(s) Lynne Jones (from 2023),
David Gilbert (from 2022)
Parish administratorDoris Keen

St Mary's Church is located on Overleigh Road in Handbridge, an area south of the River Dee, in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. It is also known as the Church of St Mary-without-the-Walls, which was to distinguish it from Church of St Mary-on-the-Hill across the River Dee within the city walls. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. [1] It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester. [2]

Contents

History

The church was built between 1885 and 1887 to a design by F. B. Wade for the 1st Duke of Westminster. [3] A porch was added on the south face of the tower in 1914 which was designed by P. H. Lockwood. [1]

Architecture

Exterior

St Mary's is constructed in ashlar Waverton stone with dressings of Runcorn sandstone. [3] It has Westmorland green slate roofs. The plan consists of a five-bay nave with a clerestory, a three-bay chancel, a chapel at the southeast, an organ chamber and a vestry. There are two porches, one on the south and one on the north. At the west end is a three-stage tower with a recessed spire. It has clock faces to the north, west and south, paired louvred bell-openings on each face, a machicolated parapet, two pinnacles at each corner, lucarnes to each cardinal face of the spire and a weathervane. [1]

Interior

The baptistry is in the tower and has an encaustic tiled floor and a stone font with an oak cover. The stained glass in the baptistry is dated 1887 and is by Edward Frampton. It depicts Christ's baptism. In the baptistry is a portrait memorial dated 1900 to the first Duke of Westminster. The nave is floored with wood blocks. There are three steps up to the chancel with wrought iron rails. The chancel has a mosaic floor. The southeast chapel has a wrought iron screen. The pulpit and lectern are in oak. To the north of the chancel is a sedilia. The east window is probably also by Frampton. [1] The reredos was designed by Frederic Shields and made in cloisonné by Clement Heaton. [3] There is a ring of eight bells which were cast by Mears and Stainbank at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1887. [4]

External features

The walls, gates and railings of the churchyard were also designed by F. B. Wade for the first Duke of Westminster in 1887, and are listed Grade II. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's Church, Chester</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Peter's Church is in Eastgate Street in the centre of the city of Chester, Cheshire, England, immediately to the north of Chester Cross. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It is an active Church of England parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester. The ancient walls mark the boundaries of the parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Eccleston</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Mary's Church is in the village of Eccleston, Cheshire, England, on the estate of the Duke of Westminster south of Chester. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester. Its benefice is combined with that of St Mary, Pulford. The Dukes of Westminster are buried in the adjacent Old Churchyard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Oswald's Church, Backford</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Oswald's Church is in the village of Backford, to the northwest of Chester, Cheshire, England, close to the A41 road and adjoining Backford Hall. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. The church dates from the 14th century with later additions and restorations. It contains one of the few surviving aumbries in Cheshire and a number of memorial boards painted by the Randle Holme family. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Wirral South. Its benefice is combined with that of Holy Trinity Church, Capenhurst. From March 2018 this benefice shares a vicar with All Saints, Saughall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's Church, Congleton</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Peter's Church is in Chapel Street, Congleton, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the Diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Congleton. Its benefice is combined with those of St Stephen, Congleton, St John the Evangelist, Buglawton, and Holy Trinity, Mossley. Alec Clifton-Taylor includes it in his list of 'best' English parish churches. The Church Buildings Council included St Peter's in its group of 300 Major Parish Churches following research produced in 2016. [Pursell 2016]

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Dodleston</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Mary's Church is in the village of Dodleston, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's and St Helen's Church, Neston</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Mary and St Helen Church is in the town of Neston, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Wirral South. Its benefice is combined with that of St Michael, Little Neston. St Thomas' Church, Parkgate, is a chapel of ease in the parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Helen's Church, Tarporley</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Helen's Church is in the village of Tarporley, Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Malpas. Its benefice is united with those of St John and Holy Cross, Cotebrook, St Thomas, Eaton, and St Paul, Utkinton. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Thornton-le-Moors</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Mary's Church is a redundant Anglican church in the small village of Thornton-le-Moors, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and it is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's Church, Waverton</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Peter's Church is in the village of Waverton, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Malpas. Its benefice is combined with those of St John, Aldford and St Mary, Bruera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Martin's Church, Ashton upon Mersey</span> Church in Greater Manchester, England

St Martin's Church is in Church Lane, Ashton upon Mersey, a district of Sale, Greater Manchester, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Bowdon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Eastham</span> Church in Merseyside, England

St Mary's Church is in the village of Eastham, Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Wirral South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John the Baptist's Church, Aldford</span> Church

St John the Baptist's Church is in the village of Aldford, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Malpas. Its benefice is combined with those of St Peter, Waverton and St Mary, Bruera. It is described by the authors of the Buildings of England series as "expensive" and "stiffly conventional".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Coddington</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Mary's Church is in the civil parish of Coddington, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Malpas. Its benefice is combined with that of St Chad's, Farndon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Pulford</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Mary's Church is in the village of Pulford, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester. Its benefice is combined with that of St Mary, Eccleston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Paul's Church, Boughton</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Paul's Church overlooks the River Dee in Boughton, Chester, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building, and, before its closure, was an Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of that diocese. In the series Buildings of England, the architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner stated that he regarded it as "the boldest of Douglas' church designs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John the Evangelist's Church, Chelford</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St John the Evangelist's Church lies to the southeast of the village of Chelford, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Knutsford. Its benefice is combined with that of St Peter, Lower Withington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Andrew's Church, East Heslerton</span> Church in North Yorkshire, England

St Andrew's Church is a redundant Anglican church at the south end of the village of East Heslerton, North Yorkshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

St John the Evangelist's Church is in Hollow Lane, Kingsley, Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Frodsham, the archdeaconry of Chester, and the diocese of Chester. Its benefice is united with those of Christ Church, Crowton, and St John the Evangelist, Norley. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. It was a Commissioners' church, having received a grant towards its construction from the Church Building Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Saints Church, Great Saughall</span> Church in Cheshire, England

All Saints Church, Great Saughall, is located in Church Road in the civil parish of Saughall and Shotwick Park, formerly Saughall and before that Great Saughall, in the county of Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Wirral South, the archdeaconry of Chester, and the diocese of Chester. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Thomas' Church, Henbury</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Thomas' Church is in Church Lane in the village of Henbury, Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Macclesfield, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield, and the diocese of Chester. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Historic England, "Church of St Mary, Handbridge (1375848)", National Heritage List for England , retrieved 28 July 2012
  2. ↑ St Mary without the Walls, Chester, Church of England , retrieved 2 January 2011
  3. 1 2 3 Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, p. 282, ISBN   978-0-300-17043-6
  4. ↑ Handbridge S Mary, Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers , retrieved 14 August 2008
  5. ↑ Historic England, "Wall, railings and gates to St Mary's churchyard and rectory, Chester (1375849)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 28 July 2012

Commons-logo.svg Media related to St Mary's Handbridge at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.