St Mary's Church, Nantwich

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St Mary's Church, Nantwich

St Mary's Church, Nantwich
St Mary's Church, Nantwich (Cheshire)
St Mary's Church, Nantwich
Shown within Cheshire
Basic information
Location Nantwich, Cheshire, England
Geographic coordinates 53°04′01″N 2°31′13″W / 53.0670, -2.5202Coordinates: 53°04′01″N 2°31′13″W / 53.0670, -2.5202
Religious affiliation Anglican
District Diocese of Chester
Ecclesiastical status Parish church
Leadership Rev. Peter Chantry, Rector
Website St Mary's Nantwich
Architectural description
Architect(s) George Gilbert Scott
Architectural type Church
Architectural style Gothic
Specifications
Height (max) 101 feet (31 m)
Materials Red sandstone

St Mary's Church, Nantwich is in the centre of the market town of Nantwich, Cheshire, England (grid reference SJ651523). It is a Grade I listed building.[1] The church 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.[2] Richards describes it as "one of the great architectural treasures of Cheshire".[3] Clifton-Taylor includes it in his list of 'outstanding' English parish churches.[4] It continues to be an active parish church.[5]

Contents

[edit] History

The first building on the site was a chapel of ease in the parish of Acton. Around 1130 both Acton church and Northwich chapel came under control of the Cistercian abbey of Combermere. Building of the present church started around 1380 in the decorated style. Later additions were in the perpendicular style.[6] It was damaged in the Civil War when it was used as a prison. By the 19th century its structure had deteriorated and George Gilbert Scott was brought in to direct its restoration in 1854–61.[7] Clifton-Taylor complained about the way in which part of the church walls have subsequently been pointed.[8]

[edit] Structure

The church is built in red sandstone and is cruciform in shape. Its plan consists of a four-bay nave with north and south aisles, a two-storeyed south porch, a central tower, north and south transepts, a three-bay chancel, to the north of which is a two-storeyed treasury. The tower is square below and octagonal above. Both transepts are of three bays and the northernmost bay of the north transept was formerly a Lady Chapel. The other two bays were dedicated to St George. The south transept is the Kingsley Chapel, endowed as a chantry in 1405.[3]

[edit] Fittings and furniture

The ceiling consists of a lierne vault with carved bosses. In the nave is a Jacobean pulpit, made in 1601, damaged in 1683 by a falling beam and altered in the 1855 restoration. Another pulpit, made of stone and dating from the late 15th century, is attached to the northeast pier of the central space. In the north transept are a piscina and an aumbry. The south transept also contains a piscina, which is damaged, and an alabaster effigy of Sir David Craddock who died around 1384. The effigy was damaged in the Civil War and was found buried under the chancel floor during the 19th century restoration.[3] There is also a tomb which has been transferred from a church at Wybunbury with effigies of Sir Thomas Smith and his wife.[7]

In the chancel are canopied choirstalls which Clifton-Taylor considered are the finest in the country, although he complained that they have been stained nearly black.[9] Also in the chancel are 20 misericords with a variety of carvings. The altar table is Elizabethan and is dated 1638. In the south wall of the sanctuary are a carved piscina and a sedilia, and on the opposite wall is a canopied aumbry.[3] The ogee-shaped canopies of the sedilia are described as being "among the showpieces of the 14th century masons".[10] In the south aisle is a small painting of The Widow's Mite by Jules Bouvier.[11] In the church are stained glass windows by Wailes, Hardman, Kempe, Harry Clarke and Clayton and Bell.[11][12]

The communion plate includes silver chalices dated 1605 and 1633 and two large silver flagons dated 1659. The parish registers date back to 1539 and contain much material relating to the history of Nantwich. The ring consists of eight bells, six of which are dated 1713.[3]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Images of England: Church of St Mary, Nantwich. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
  2. ^ Bilsborough, Norman (1983). The Treasures of Cheshire. Manchester: The North West Civic Trust, 155–157. ISBN 0901347353. 
  3. ^ a b c d e Richards, Raymond (1947). Old Cheshire Churches. London: B. T Batsford, 248–254. 
  4. ^ Clifton-Taylor, 240.
  5. ^ St Mary's Nantwich. St Mary's Nantwich. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  6. ^ Nantwich Web. Netnous. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
  7. ^ a b Salter, Mark (1995). The Old Parish Churches of Cheshire. Malvern: Folly Publications, 56–57. ISBN 1871731232. 
  8. ^ Clifton-Taylor, 69.
  9. ^ Clifton-Taylor, 182–185.
  10. ^ Hutton, Graham; Olive Cook (1979). English Parish Churches. New York: Thames and Hudson, 76. 
  11. ^ a b Pevsner, Nikolaus; Edward Hubbard [1971] (2003). The Buildings of England: Cheshire. New Haven: Yale University Press, 285–287. ISBN 0 300 09588 0. 
  12. ^ Nantwich, St Mary. Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi (CVMA) of Great Britain.

[edit] Bibliography used in references

  • Clifton-Taylor, Alec (1974). English Parish Churches as Work of Art. London: Batsford. ISBN 0 7134 2776 0. 

[edit] External links