St Mary's Church, Mold

Last updated

St Mary's Church, Mold
St Mary's Church, Mold.jpg
St Mary's Church, Mold, from the south
St Mary's Church, Mold
53°10′09″N3°08′35″W / 53.1691°N 3.1430°W / 53.1691; -3.1430
LocationHigh Street, Mold, Flintshire
CountryWales
Denomination Anglican
Churchmanship Anglo-Catholic
Website
History
Status Parish church
Dedication St Mary the Virgin
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade I
Designated21 June 1953
Architect(s) Joseph Turner (tower)
Sir George Gilbert Scott
Prothero, Phillott and Barnard
Architectural type Church
Style Perpendicular
Groundbreaking c. 1490
Specifications
Materials Sandstone with lead roofs
Administration
Province Church in Wales
Diocese St Asaph
Archdeaconry Wrexham
Deanery Mold
Parish Mold
Clergy
Vicar(s) The Rev'd Canon Martin Bachelor
Curate(s) The Rev'd Dan Morgan
Laity
Organist(s) Tim Stuart, Phil Knowles
Churchwarden(s) John R Williams, June Taylor
Flower guildHilary Lawrence
Parish administratorJohn Nicholas, Treasurer; Judith Johnson, Secretary

St Mary's Church is an Anglican parish church in Mold, Flintshire, Wales, and a Grade I listed building. [1] [2] It belongs to the Deanery of Mold, the Archdeaconry of Wrexham and the Diocese of St Asaph of the Church in Wales. [3] It has historical associations with the Stanley family, Earls of Derby and displays heraldic symbols of this, [4] including an Eagle and Child assumed by the family in the 15th century, [5] and the Three Legs of Man, derived from a time when the Stanleys were Lords of Mann. [6] Under Father Rex Matthias, the previous incumbent, the church took on an Anglo-Catholic style of liturgy.

Contents

History

St Mary's Church (grid reference SJ236641 ) stands on the site of a Norman church, which fell into disrepair in the 14th century. This was replaced by a larger one in the 15th century, which in turn deteriorated. It was demolished except for its tower. Construction of the present church began about 1490. [7] The first patron of this was Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby and mother of Henry VII. [4] She died in 1509, but the nave and aisles were not complete until about 1550. After the Reformation, two Bishops of St Asaph made financial contributions: Robert Wharton and William Hughes. About this time the rectory of Mold passed to Bisham Priory, which was to be responsible for building a chancel, but this never occurred. The completed chancel arch was instead blocked up and a seven-light window inserted. In 1674 a clock was bought and the roof was re-leaded, in 1678 and 1733 new bells were added, in 1729 restoration work took place, and a gallery was added in 1751–1752. [7] The west tower was replaced in 1768–1773 to a design by the architect Joseph Turner. Hubbard comments that despite its proportions it is "a creditable 18th-century attempt" at reproducing Perpendicular architecture. [4] It is possible that the clerestory was added at this time. [7]

A major restoration carried out in 1853–1856 by Sir George Gilbert Scott involved adding a chancel with a three-sided apse. [4] The west gallery was removed, the pews replaced by carved benches, and a pulpit, lectern and choir stalls installed. A new roof was built over the nave, the organ was moved to the east end of the north aisle and a north porch was added. In 1885 repairs to the stonework were made. Further restoration in 1911 was supervised by the architects Prothero, Phillott and Barnard of Cheltenham. This included rebuilding the south porch. [7] The Lady Chapel was restored in 1921 by Sir Thomas G. Jackson. Still more restoration work was carried out in the 1950s and in 1998–2001. [8]

Architecture

Structure

The main body is built in local Cefn sandstone. [9] Most of the church is Perpendicular in style, although the inner doorway of the south porch is Elizabethan. [4] Its plan consists of a seven-bay nave with a clerestory, a one-bay chancel with a three-sided apse, north and south aisles, a west tower, a north vestry and a south porch. [7] There is much carving on the stonework, including processions of animals. [4] The tower has three stages and a battlemented top with crocketed pinnacles at the corner and in the middle of each side. There are stepped corner buttresses and a clock face on the south wall. The aisles also have battlemented parapets with crocketed pinnacles at the tops of the stepped buttresses between the bays. Each bay has a four-light window under a chamfered arch. [7]

Fittings and furniture

The font is dated 1847 and is Perpendicular in style; its cover was made from the material of an 18th-century chandelier. The alabaster reredos was designed by John Douglas and made by Hardman & Co. The pews are carved with poppyheads and the pulpit and stalls, dated 1856, were designed by Scott. The fittings in the north-east chapel were designed by Sir Thomas G. Jackson in 1921 as a war memorial, as were both organ cases, which are dated 1923.

Stained glass

The stained glass came from several designers and manufacturers, including William Wailes, Clayton and Bell, Lavers and Barraud, Alexander Booker and Burlison and Grylls. One window commemorates the painter Richard Wilson, who is buried in the churchyard. Other monuments include a brass dated 1602 and a series of cartouches dating from 1666 to 1757. [4]

Organ

The organ was installed in 1973 by the Liverpool firm of Rushworth and Dreaper, [10] to replace an earlier organ made by the same firm. [11] It is a locally unusual example of an organ with baroque voicing. In place of the usual swell louvres, it features opening doors with carved hinged panels. This organ was rebuilt by Peter Collins in 2008. [12]

Bells

The tower has a ring of eight bells, five of them cast in 1732 by Abraham Rudhall II and three added in 2005, cast by Eijsbouts. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Michael and All Angels, Middlewich</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St. Michael and All Angels is the parish church for the town of Middlewich in Cheshire, England. It stands at the junction of the A54 and A533 roads. 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 Middlewich. Its benefice is combined with that of St John, Byley. In 1947 the architectural historian Raymond Richards described the church as "the one building, in a depressing town, which is mellow and dignified".

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

St Mary's Church is an Anglican parish church in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It has been called the "Cathedral of South Cheshire" and it is considered by some to be one of the finest medieval churches, not only in Cheshire, but in the whole of England. The architectural writer Raymond Richards described it as "one of the great architectural treasures of Cheshire", and Alec Clifton-Taylor included it in his list of "outstanding" English parish churches.

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

St Mary's Church is an Anglican parish church in the village of Newbold Astbury, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and its architecture has been praised by a number of writers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary and All Saints' Church, Great Budworth</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Mary and All Saints Church is in the centre of the village of Great Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Great Budworth. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. Clifton-Taylor includes it in his list of 'best' English parish churches. Richards describes it as "one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical architecture remaining in Cheshire". The authors of the Buildings of England series express the opinion that it is "one of the most satisfactory Perpendicular churches of Cheshire and its setting brings its qualities out to perfection".

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

St Oswald's Church is north of the village of Brereton Green, adjacent to Brereton Hall, in the civil parish of Brereton, Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Croco. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building, and is described as "an unusually complete late Perpendicular church". 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 Christ Church, Eaton, and St Michael, Hulme Walfield.

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

St Mary's Church in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England, is a Grade I listed building. It is an Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Cheadle. Its benefice is united with that of St Cuthbert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancaster Priory</span> Church in Lancashire, England

Lancaster Priory, formally the Priory Church of St Mary, is the Church of England parish church of the city of Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It is located near Lancaster Castle and since 1953 has been designated a Grade I listed building. It is in the deanery of Lancaster, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the Diocese of Blackburn. Its benefice is combined with that of St John and St Anne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Chad's Church, Holt</span> Church in Wrexham County Borough, Wales

St Chad's Church, Holt, is in the village of Holt, Wrexham County Borough, Wales overlooking the River Dee and the Wales–England border. It is an active Anglican church in the deanery of Alyn, the archdeaconry of Wrexham and the diocese of St Asaph. The church is designated by Cadw as a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Cilcain</span> Church in Flintshire, Wales

St Mary's Church, Cilcain, is in the village of Cilcain, Flintshire, Wales. It is an active Anglican church in the Bro Famau group of parishes, in the Mold Mission Area, in the archdeaconry of Wrexham and the diocese of St Asaph. The church is designated by Cadw as a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Matthew's Church, Buckley</span> Church in Flintshire, Wales

St Matthew's Church, is in the town of Buckley, Flintshire, Wales. It is an active Anglican parish church in the Borderlands Mission Area, the archdeaconry of Wrexham and the diocese of St Asaph. The church is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Nicholas Church, Gloucester</span> Church in Gloucester, England

St Nicholas Church is a historic church in Westgate Street in the city of Gloucester, England, under the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. Its truncated spire is a landmark in the city centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Martin of Tours' Church, Saundby</span> Church in Nottinghamshire, England

St Martin of Tours' Church is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Saundby, Nottinghamshire, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary the Virgin's Church, Wiggenhall</span> Church in Norfolk, England

St Mary the Virgin's Church is a redundant Anglican church in the civil parish of Wiggenhall St Germans, Norfolk, 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. The church stands at the end of a lane to the north of the village of Wiggenhall St Mary the Virgin, some 5 miles (8 km) south of King's Lynn. It is notable particularly for the quality of carving of its wooden fittings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Margaret's Church, Abbotsley</span> Church in Cambridgeshire, England

St Margaret's Church is a historic Anglican church in the village of Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. The church stands in the centre of the village, to the south of the B1046 road.

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

St Mary's Church is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Pitstone, Buckinghamshire, 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. The church stands to the southeast of the village, some 9 miles (14 km) east of Aylesbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St James' Church, Melsonby</span> Church in North Yorkshire, England

St James' Church is in the village of Melsonby, North Yorkshire, England. It is an Anglican parish church in the deanery of Richmond, the archdeaconry of Richmond, and the Diocese of Leeds. Its benefice is united with those of four local churches to form the Stanwick Group of Churches. 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, Penwortham</span> Church in Lancashire, England

St Mary's Church is in Church Avenue, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Leyland, the archdeaconry of Blackburn, and the diocese of Blackburn. 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 Laurence's Church, Chorley</span> Church in Lancashire, England

St Laurence's Church is in Union Street, Chorley, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Chorley, the archdeaconry of Blackburn, and the diocese of Blackburn. 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 James' Church, Brindle</span> Church in Lancashire, England

St James' Church is in the village of Brindle, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Chorley, the archdeaconry of Blackburn, and the diocese of Blackburn. 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, Ellesmere</span> Church in Shropshire, England

St Mary's Church stands on a hill in the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Ellesmere, the archdeaconry of Salop, and the diocese of Lichfield. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

References

  1. The Parish of Mold, Parish of Mold, retrieved 20 June 2009
  2. Cadw, "Parish Church in St Mary (Grade I) (383)", National Historic Assets of Wales , retrieved 2 April 2019
  3. Deanery of Mold, Church in Wales , retrieved 20 June 2009
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hubbard, Edward (1986), The Buildings of Wales: Clwyd, London: Penguin, pp. 389–391, ISBN   0-14-071052-3
  5. Stanley, Peter, Origin of the Stanley Crest, The House of Stanley from the 12th Century, RootsWeb , retrieved 20 June 2009
  6. Kings & Lords of Mann, Isle of Man Government , retrieved 20 June 2009
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Church of St Mary, Mold, Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust , retrieved 20 June 2009
  8. A Brief History of Mold Parish Church, Parish of Mold, retrieved 20 June 2009
  9. St Mary's Church, Klick Internet Services, retrieved 20 June 2009
  10. Flintshire, Mold, St Mary, British Institute of Organ Studies , retrieved 21 June 2009
  11. Flintshire, Mold, St Mary, British Institute of Organ Studies , retrieved 21 June 2009
  12. Pipe Organ at the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Mold, Flintshire, Wales, Parish of Mold, retrieved 21 June 2009
  13. Mold, S Mary, Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers , retrieved 21 June 2009