St Andrew's Church, Tarvin

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Basic information
St Andrew's Church, Tarvin
St Andrew's Church, Tarvin
Shown within Cheshire
Location	Tarvin, Cheshire, England
Geographic coordinates	53°11′49″N 2°45′41″W / 53.1969, -2.7613Coordinates: 53°11′49″N 2°45′41″W / 53.1969, -2.7613
Religious affiliation	Anglican
District	Diocese of Chester
Ecclesiastical status	Parish church
Leadership	Rev David Herbert, vicar
Website	Tarvin Parish
Architectural description
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Gothic
Specifications
Materials	Red sandstone Welsh slate roof

St Andrew's Church, Tarvin is in the village of Tarvin, Cheshire, England (grid reference SJ491669). It is a Grade I listed building.^[1] It continues to be an active parish church.^[2]

1 History
2 Structure
3 Fittings and furniture
4 External features
5 Notes

[edit] History

The original church on the site was built in the 12th century. It was remodelled in the 14th century and the south wall and south arcade date from this time. The remainder of the church was rebuilt in the 15th century and the chancel was restored in the 18th century. The tower was built in the 15th century and the north aisle was added after this.^[3] Further restorations took place in the 18th and 19th centuries, followed by one in 1908 by F. P. Oakley.^[1]

[edit] Structure

The church is built in red sandstone with a Welsh slate roof.^[1] Entry is through the west wall of the west tower.^[4] The plan consists of a five-bay nave and a two-bay chancel, a north aisle with a chapel (the Bruen chapel) at its east end, and a south aisle with a south porch.^[5] The doorway to the tower is Tudor in style, the second storey has deeply recessed quatrefoil windows and a clock on all four sides. The top is embattled and the remains of former pinnacles are at the corners.^[3]

[edit] Fittings and furniture

The nave roof is arch-brace and hammerbeam in design and is dated 1650. It was covered in lath and plaster during the 18th century and was brought to light again in the 1891 restoration. Over the south aisle is a single framed roof dating from 1380, which is the only one of its type in the county. The octagonal font dates from the 15th century. Most of the furniture and fittings were removed during restorations but the two-tier brass candelabrum dating from the 18th century is still present.^[3] In the chancel is a Flemish reredos from around 1500 and a copper memorial tablet to Henry Hardware who died in 1584.^[1] The east window of 1892 is by Kempe.^[4] The west window was gifted in 2006 and was designed by Fiona Banner and Roy Coomber.^{[citation needed]}

At the entrance to the Bruen chapel is a 14th century wooden screen. On its south wall is a squint with a carved image, known as the "church imp", who looks through the squint. During the first quarter of the 17th century all the pre-Reformation glass was removed from the chapel by John Bruen because he considered them to be "superstitious images and idolatrous pictures". The altar table dates from the 17th century.^[3] The chapel contains memorials to John Bruen and others.^[4] In the church are five memorial boards which are believed to have been painted by members of the Randle Holme family of Chester.^[6] The church plate includes a large double-headed cup and two chalices with patens as covers and a credence paten, all dated 1775, and a flagon dated 1776. The parish registers begin in 1563 but are incomplete between 1682 and 1687. The ring of six bells is dated 1779.^[3]

[edit] External features

In the churchyard are a number of items listed Grade II. These are the gates and gate piers to the churchyard,^[7] the sandstone sundial from the mid-18th century,^[8] the tombchests of John Minshull and his daughter,^[9] William and Elizabeth Hilton,^[10] William Sandbach and others,^[11] and the tombstone of Beatrix Hollinsworth.^[12]