St Peter's Church, Congleton
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| St Peter's Church, Congleton | |
St Peter's Church, Congleton |
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  Shown within Cheshire
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| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Congleton, Cheshire, England |
| Geographic coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Religious affiliation | Anglican |
| District | Diocese of Chester |
| Ecclesiastical status | Parish church |
| Leadership | Rev David Taylor |
| Website | Congleton Team Parish |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | William Baker |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Tower Gothic Body of church Neoclassical |
| Year completed | 1786 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red brick with stone dressings Stone slate roof Stone tower |
St Peter's Church, Congleton is in the town of Congleton, Cheshire, England (grid reference SJ859628}. It is a Grade II* listed building.[1] Clifton-Taylor includes it in his list of 'best' English parish churches.[2] It continues to be active as a parish church.[3]
Contents |
[edit] History
The original church on the site was timber framed but by 1740 its structure had become decayed. A new church was built in the Neoclassical style and completed by 1742. The lower part of the 14th century tower was retained, the restoration of this in the Gothic style being completed in 1786.[4] The architect was William Baker of Audlem.[1]
[edit] Structure
The church is built in red brick with stone dressings, the roof is of stone slate and the west tower is of stone.[1] Its plan consists of a five-bay nave with side aisles continuous with a one-bay chancel. The tower is at the west end.[5] The tower has a clock and on its summit is a parapet and pinnacles. Two coats of arms are carved on the western wall.[4] The door is at the west end end is surrounded by a porch with Doric columns.[1]
[edit] Fittings and furniture
Internally there are galleries on the north, south and west sides, and Georgian box pews. The pulpit dates from the 17th century and at the time Richards was writing it was the only pulpit in Cheshire to be placed in front of the sanctuary in the middle of the nave.[4][6] Between the nave and the aisles are square piers supporting Tuscan columns. The marble font dates from 1742 and a brass candelabrum from 1748. The reredos is dated 1743 and its panels contain the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments and the Apostles' Creed. The east window is Palladian in style and it is flanked by mural paintings of St Peter and St Paul by Edward Penny of Knutsford. The royal coat of arms of William III dated 1702 are at the east end of the north gallery. The finest memorial is a wall tablet in memory of Sir Thomas Reade who died in 1849.[4] This is by Thomas and Edward Gaffin and shows a Negro kneeling by a palm tree. The church plate includes a chalice dated 1696, a paten dated 1699, a number of chalices and patens dated 1706, a flagon dated 1718 and a paten from 1721.[7] The ring is of eight bells, the oldest three being dated 1720.[4]
[edit] External features
The gates, gate piers and railings of the churchyard are listed Grade II. The gate piers are of stone with panelled sides and cornice caps. The gates and railings are in wrought iron. Over the gate is a wrought iron overthrow and a lantern.[8]
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Images of England: Church of St Peter, Congleton. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-09-04.
- ^ Clifton-Taylor, p.240.
- ^ Congleton Team Parish. Congleton Team Parish. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- ^ a b c d e Richards, Raymond (1947). Old Cheshire Churches. London: B. T Batsford, 137–141.
- ^ Morant, Roland W. (1989). Cheshire Churches. Birkenhead: Countyvise, 126–127. ISBN 0 907768 18 0.
- ^ Clifton-Taylor, p.8.
- ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Edward Hubbard [1971] (2003). The Buildings of England: Cheshire. New Haven: Yale University Press, 182. ISBN 0 300 09588 0.
- ^ Images of England: Gate piers, gates and railings of St. Peter's. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-11-03.
[edit] Bibliography
- Clifton-Taylor, Alec (1974). English Parish Churches as Works of Art. London: Batsford. ISBN 0 7134 2776 0.
