St Edith's Church, Shocklach
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| St Edith's Church, Shocklach | |
St Edith's Church, Shocklach |
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  Shown within Cheshire
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| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Shocklach, Cheshire, England |
| Geographic coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Religious affiliation | Anglican |
| District | Diocese of Chester |
| Ecclesiastical status | Parish church |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Norman |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red sandstone Slate roof |
St Edith's Church, Shocklach is at the end of an isolated lane running toward the River Dee north of the village of Shocklach, Cheshire, England, (grid reference SJ431502). It is a small Norman church, one of the oldest ecclesiastical buildings in Cheshire.[1] It is a Grade I listed building, its simple Norman work being considered to be unique in Cheshire.[2]
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[edit] History
The church was built about 1150 by Thomas de Shocklach.[1] The chancel was added in the 14th[3][4] or the 15th century.[1][2] In the 17th century the west wall of the nave was restored and altered to provide a small baptistry between two buttresses.[2] A vestry was added to the north of the chancel in 1926.[3]
[edit] Structure
The masonry consists of irregular blocks of red sandstone with thick mortar courses.[3] The plan of the church is simple and consists of a nave with a small baptistry at the west end, and a chancel with a vestry to its north.[5] On the south side is a Norman doorway in fine condition. It has a round arch of three orders, the outer and inner ones being decorated with chevrons, the middle one with cables. It rests on square piers with weathered corbel heads.[2] Richards considers that the doorway is one of the best Norman examples in the county.[4] The door is of oak with iron studs. A north door has been blocked and converted into a window. At the west end is a simple bellcote containing two bells.[2]
[edit] Fittings and furniture
The nave has a curved plaster ceiling with recessed plaster bosses dating from the 18th century. The round chancel arch is medieval. The chancel has an arch-braced wooden roof.[2] The pews are dated 1697, the altar rails are from the late 18th century and the two sanctuary chairs are also early. The font is unusual in that it has seven sides.[4] The communion rail is from the 18th century.[6] The oak pulpit is plain and is dated 1687. On the west wall of the nave are royal arms dated 1760 and a hatchment to the Purleston family. On a pane of the east window is scratched "I, Robert Aldersey, was here on 1st day of October 1756 along with John Massie and Mr Derbyshire. The roads were so bad that we were in danger of our lives".[2] The communion plate consists of pewter vessels dating from the late 18th century. The parish registers date from 1538 and the churchwardens' accounts from 1725.[4]
[edit] External features
In the church yard is part of a medieval red sandstone cross. The square base has four steps and on it rests an octagonal shaft which was replaced or recut in 1896. The head of the cross is missing. It is a Grade II listed building.[7]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Bilsborough, Norman (1983). The Treasures of Cheshire. Manchester: The North West Civic Trust, 145-146. ISBN 0901347353.
- ^ a b c d e f g Images of England: Church of St Edith, Shocklach. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-07-28.
- ^ a b c St Edith, Shocklach, Cheshire. The Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
- ^ a b c d Richards, Raymond (1947). Old Cheshire Churches. London: Batsford, 294-296.
- ^ Salter, Mark (1995). The Old Parish Churches of Cheshire. Malvern: Folly Publications, 68. ISBN 1871731232.
- ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Edward Hubbard [1971] (2003). The Buildings of England: Cheshire. New Haven: Yale University Press, 334. ISBN 0 300 09588 0.
- ^ Images of England: Medieval cross in the churchyard of St Edith, Shocklach. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
[edit] External links
- The mysteries of St Edith's Church, Shocklach. Shocklach website.
- Thornber, Craig (2005-07-09). A Scrapbook of Cheshire Antiquities: Shocklach.
