St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury
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| St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury | |
St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury |
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  Shown within Cheshire
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| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Wrenbury, Cheshire, England |
| Geographic coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Religious affiliation | Anglican |
| District | Diocese of Chester |
| Ecclesiastical status | Parish church |
| Leadership | Revd Jane Parry, Rector |
| Website | St Margaret's Church |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red sandstone ashlar Tile roof |
St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury overlooks the village green of Wrenbury, Cheshire, England (grid reference SJ594477). It is a Grade II* listed building.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
This was originally a chapel of ease to St Mary's Church, Acton.[2] The present church dates from the early 16th century with alterations and additions in the 18th and 19th centuries; the nave and porch were restored in 1794, the chancel was rebuilt in 1806 and restored in 1865.[1]
[edit] Structure
The church is built of red sandstone ashlar with a tile roof.[1] The plan consists of a west tower, a five-bay clerestoried nave with narrow aisles, a chancel and a south porch.[3] The tower is embattled with pinnacles at the corners. The west door has been converted into a window and above this is another, three-light, window. The upper belfry windows are of two lights and protruding from the southeast angle is a stair turret climbing to the roof of the tower.[2]
[edit] Fittings and furniture
The tie-beam roof of the nave, which includes bosses, dates from the late 16th century. The nave contains box pews, many of them having the arms of local families on their doors. The pew nearest the door was for the dog whipper who, in addition to controlling dogs in the church, had the duty of waking those who fell asleep during the sermon. The pulpit is early Georgian and the west gallery dates from the late 18th century. The parish chest is in the tower, is over 6 feet (2 m) long and is secured by 14 iron straps. The elaborate brass chandelier was presented to the church in 1839. The font is made from sandstone. In the church are monuments to the Cotton family of Combermere Abbey and the Starkey family of Wrenbury Hall, the most important being the monument to Sir Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere. There are also wooden memorial tablets to Lawrence Starkey dated 1611 and George Cotton dated 1702. The parish registers begin in 1593 and the churchwardens' accounts in 1771.[2]
[edit] External features
In the churchyard is a cast iron gravestone dating from the middle of the 19th century.[4] The railings, gates and gatepiers to the churchyard are listed Grade II,[5] as is a cottage in the churchyard.[6]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Images of England: Church of St Margaret, Wrenbury. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ a b c Richards, Raymond (1947). Old Cheshire Churches. London: B. T Batsford, 369–372.
- ^ Salter, Mark (1995). The Old Parish Churches of Cheshire. Malvern: Folly Publications, 82. ISBN 1871731232.
- ^ Thornber, Craig (2005-07-09). A Scrapbook of Cheshire Antiquities: Wrenbury. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ Images of England: Railings, gates and gatepiers to churchyard. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ Images of England: Cottage in the Churchyard of St Margaret. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
