St Mary's Church, Eastham

St Mary's Church, Eastham

St Mary's Church, Eastham, from the southeast
St Mary's Church, Eastham
Location in Merseyside
Coordinates: 53°18′48″N 2°57′41″W / 53.3132°N 2.9614°W / 53.3132; -2.9614
OS grid reference SJ 361 800
Location Eastham, Wirral, Merseyside
Country England
Denomination Anglican
Website Eastham, St Mary
History
Dedication Virgin Mary
Architecture
Status Parish church
Functional status Active
Heritage designation Grade II
Designated 27 December 1962
Architect(s) David Walker
John Douglas
Architectural type Church
Style Gothic, Gothic Revival
Completed 1880
Specifications
Spire height 115 feet (35 m)
Materials Stone with tiled roofs
Administration
Parish Eastham
Deanery Wirral South
Archdeaconry Chester
Diocese Chester
Province York
Clergy
Vicar(s) Revd Elisabeth Ann Glover
Curate(s) Revd Maureen Coats
Laity
Reader(s) David Colenso, Anne York,
Ray Bonnard, Bob Oxburgh
Director of music Gerry Warr
Organist(s) Malcolm Perry
Churchwarden(s) Russ Boyes, Sue Abraham
Parish administrator George Wynne

St Mary's Church is in the town of Eastham, Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.[1] It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Wirral South.[2]

History

A place of worship has been here since before the time of the Domesday Book which mentions a priest at Eastham.[3] The present church contains architecture from many periods although a major restoration by David Walker took place between 1876 and 1880. Some of the masonry in the north wall dates from the 12th century. The nave dates mainly from the 13th century, the tower originated in the 14th century and the aisles in the 15th century. The south porch dates from the 16th century.[4] The tower was rebuilt in 1752,[5] and the chancel was restored in 1863–64 by the Chester architect John Douglas.[6]

Architecture

Exterior

The church is built in stone with tiled roofs.[1] Its plan consists of a tower at the west end with a small vestry to its south, a four-bay nave, north and south wide aisles, a south porch, and a chancel with the Stanley chapel to its north and a vestry to its south.[7] The Stanley chapel is Perpendicular in style,[8] as is the south porch.[4] The tower has a broach spire with unusual gable pinnacles and three tiers of lucarnes.[1][8]

Interior

The base of the tower is used as a baptistry and contains a circular 12th century Norman font. At the east end of the south aisle is late 16th century oaken parish chest at least 9 feet (3 m) in length. The Stanley chapel contains two altar tombs. One is in alabaster and is to the memory of Charlotte, Lady Stanley, who died in 1662, and the other is in sandstone and commemorates Sir William Stanley who died in 1612.[4] Other memorials in the church are to Sir Rowland Stanley who died in 1613, Lady Haggerston who died in 1836, and Sir Thomas Stanley Massey Stanley who died in 1841.[8] The north aisle contains the Royal arms of George III and a benefaction board dated 1709.[4] Three carved heraldic panels of the Poole family are incorporated in the organ case.[5] The stained glass in the south window and dormer windows is by E. Frampton and is dated 1888 and 1890.[1] Also in the church is stained glass by Kempe dating between 1889 and 1903.[9] There is a ring of six bells cast in 1922 by John Taylor and Company.[10] The parish registers begin in 1598.[5]

External features

Yew tree in churchyard

In the churchyard is a sundial dated 1798. It is listed at Grade II.[11] Also in the churchyard is an ancient yew tree which was reported to have been in existence in 1152.[12] In addition the churchyard contains the war graves of fourteen service personnel of World War I, and a Merchant Navy officer of World War II.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Historic England, "Church of St Mary, Eastham (1075458)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 1 August 2012
  2. ↑ St Mary the Blessed Virgin, Eastham, Church of England, retrieved 14 May 2011
  3. ↑ "Domesday Book: A Complete Translation", London, Penguin (2003) ISBN 0-14-143994-7
  4. 1 2 3 4 Morant, Roland W. (1989), Cheshire Churches, Birkenhead: Countyvise, p. 130, ISBN 0-907768-18-0
  5. 1 2 3 Richards, Raymond (1947), Old Cheshire Churches, London: Batsford, pp. 151–153, OCLC 719918
  6. ↑ Hubbard, Edward (1991), The Work of John Douglas, London: The Victorian Society, p. 238, ISBN 0-901657-16-6
  7. ↑ Salter, Mark (1995), The Old Parish Churches of Cheshire, Malvern: Folly Publications, p. 35, ISBN 1-871731-23-2
  8. 1 2 3 Hartwell, Claire; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, pp. 343–344, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
  9. ↑ Charles Eamer Kempe, The Kempe Society, retrieved 20 December 2007
  10. ↑ Eastham S Mary, Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers, retrieved 10 August 2008
  11. ↑ Historic England, "Sundial to south of porch to Church of St Mary, Eastham (1075459)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 1 August 2012
  12. ↑ Ancient/Veteran Yew at Eastham, The Tree Register, retrieved 19 December 2007
  13. ↑ EASTHAM (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, retrieved 4 February 2013

Further reading

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