Ingestre
Encyclopedia
Ingestre is a village and former civil parish in Staffordshire
, England
. It is four miles to the north-east of the county town of Stafford
.
Ingestre Hall
is a local landmark.
It was formerly served by both Weston and Ingestre railway station
and Ingestre railway station
.
The village, and former civil parish, of Tixall
is nearby. The civil parishes of Tixall and Ingestre were merged into a single parish of Ingestre with Tixall in 1979.
Ingestre parish church of St Mary the Virgin
, is positioned very close by "near the SE corner of the Hall, a small handsome fabric in the Grecian style, built in 1676, by Walter Chetwynd
, Esq, at a short distance from the old one, which was taken down, after the bones and memorials of the dead had been removed from it to the new edifice."
[From William White, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, Sheffield, 1851]
The church is widely reputed to have been designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and is "the only church outside London
to be attributed to Sir Christopher Wren." This notion is strengthened when we consider that "Walter Chetwynd
was a friend of Sir Christopher Wren and both were members of the Royal Society
."
"A drawing by Wren annotated 'Mr Chetwynd's Tower' exists...Wren worked almost exclusively for the King...but in the case of St Mary('s Church, Ingestre) the exquisite quality speaks unequivocally."
"Ingestre (Staffs). Dating from the rebuilding of the church in 1676. The screen including the Royal Arms was designed by Wren. In his own words: "an elegant skreen of Flanders Oak garnisht with the Kings Armes". See Our Christian Heritage by Warwick Rodwell
and James Bentley (London, 1984), pp. 207–8."
"Dr. Palliser, perhaps over-defensively at times, correctly asserts that Staffordshire has much to offer in its own right - some fine medieval parish churches, such as Clifton Campville
(near Lichfield
), a notable group of Gothic
survival churches, Wren’s Ingestre, Broughton Hall, Staffordshire
and much of first importance from the post industrial period of the county’s history."
"The church of St Mary the Virgin in Ingestre, has the distinction of being the sole Wren church outside London. Although the stone is duller than the city churches, the building that stands next to Ingestre's Carolean
hall is recognisably of the same design (particularly to St Mary Somerset). The interior is decorated with plaster carvings, Grinling Gibbons
woodwork and Burne-Jones stained glass, showing blood dripping from a pelican onto Adam and Eve
, who bear crimson halos and wings. Unusually, the marble monuments have been painted and gilded."
The church was consecrated in August 1677 with a full day of services with "the Bishop baptizing a child, churching a woman, joining a couple in matrimony and burying another, all on the same day...the idea was to emphasize that this was a Parish Church, and not a private Chapel for the Chetwynd family."
In 2009 a modern Ingestre Festival was held in the grounds of Ingestre Hall, with guided tours of the Hall and an old car rally.
The next Ingestre Festival will be held In 2013.
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is four miles to the north-east of the county town of Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
.
Ingestre Hall
Ingestre Hall
Ingestre Hall is a 17th century Jacobean mansion situated at Ingestre, near Stafford, Staffordshire, England, which is now in use as a Residential Arts and Conference Centre. It is a Grade II* listed building.Ingestre is mentioned in the Domesday Book...
is a local landmark.
It was formerly served by both Weston and Ingestre railway station
Weston and Ingestre railway station
Weston and Ingestre railway station was a former British railway station opened by the North Staffordshire Railway to serve the village of Ingestre in Staffordshire in 1849....
and Ingestre railway station
Ingestre railway station
Ingestre and Weston railway station was a former British railway station to serve the village of Ingestre in Staffordshire.It was opened by the Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway in 1867...
.
The village, and former civil parish, of Tixall
Tixall
Tixall is a small village and former civil parish in the English county of Staffordshire lying on the western side of the Trent valley between Rugeley and Stone, Staffordshire and roughly 4 miles east of Stafford...
is nearby. The civil parishes of Tixall and Ingestre were merged into a single parish of Ingestre with Tixall in 1979.
Ingestre church
St Mary the Virgin
-Churches:* St Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury* St Mary the Virgin, Blackburn Hamlet* St Mary the Virgin, Brighton* St Mary the Virgin, Barnes* St Mary the Virgin, Bathwick* St Mary the Virgin, Gillingham, Dorset* St Mary the Virgin, Henbury...
, is positioned very close by "near the SE corner of the Hall, a small handsome fabric in the Grecian style, built in 1676, by Walter Chetwynd
Walter Chetwynd
Walter Chetwynd FRS , of Ingestre Hall, was an antiquary and politician.He was the only child of Walter Chetwynd , the eldest son of Walter Chetwynd , who built Ingestre Hall. He was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1657, but returned his native Staffordshire and occupied various local offices...
, Esq, at a short distance from the old one, which was taken down, after the bones and memorials of the dead had been removed from it to the new edifice."
[From William White, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, Sheffield, 1851]
The church is widely reputed to have been designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and is "the only church outside London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to be attributed to Sir Christopher Wren." This notion is strengthened when we consider that "Walter Chetwynd
Walter Chetwynd
Walter Chetwynd FRS , of Ingestre Hall, was an antiquary and politician.He was the only child of Walter Chetwynd , the eldest son of Walter Chetwynd , who built Ingestre Hall. He was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1657, but returned his native Staffordshire and occupied various local offices...
was a friend of Sir Christopher Wren and both were members of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
."
"A drawing by Wren annotated 'Mr Chetwynd's Tower' exists...Wren worked almost exclusively for the King...but in the case of St Mary('s Church, Ingestre) the exquisite quality speaks unequivocally."
"Ingestre (Staffs). Dating from the rebuilding of the church in 1676. The screen including the Royal Arms was designed by Wren. In his own words: "an elegant skreen of Flanders Oak garnisht with the Kings Armes". See Our Christian Heritage by Warwick Rodwell
Warwick Rodwell
Dr Warwick Rodwell is an author, archaeologist, architectural historian and academic. In 1980, he published the standard textbook on church archaeology. He is a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and of the Royal Historical Society.-Career:...
and James Bentley (London, 1984), pp. 207–8."
"Dr. Palliser, perhaps over-defensively at times, correctly asserts that Staffordshire has much to offer in its own right - some fine medieval parish churches, such as Clifton Campville
Clifton Campville
Clifton Campville is a village and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. It lies on the River Mease, about east of the City of Lichfield, west of Measham and north of Tamworth. In 2001 the parish had a population of 764....
(near Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
), a notable group of Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
survival churches, Wren’s Ingestre, Broughton Hall, Staffordshire
Broughton Hall, Staffordshire
Broughton Hall near Eccleshall, Staffordshire is a privately owned 16th century Elizabethan style manor house. It is a Grade I listed building....
and much of first importance from the post industrial period of the county’s history."
"The church of St Mary the Virgin in Ingestre, has the distinction of being the sole Wren church outside London. Although the stone is duller than the city churches, the building that stands next to Ingestre's Carolean
Carolean
Carolean can refer to:* Restoration style* Caroleans, soldiers of Charles XII of Sweden...
hall is recognisably of the same design (particularly to St Mary Somerset). The interior is decorated with plaster carvings, Grinling Gibbons
Grinling Gibbons
Grinling Gibbons was an English sculptor and wood carver known for his work in England, including St Paul's Cathedral, Blenheim Palace and Hampton Court Palace. He was born and educated in Holland where his father was a merchant...
woodwork and Burne-Jones stained glass, showing blood dripping from a pelican onto Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
, who bear crimson halos and wings. Unusually, the marble monuments have been painted and gilded."
The church was consecrated in August 1677 with a full day of services with "the Bishop baptizing a child, churching a woman, joining a couple in matrimony and burying another, all on the same day...the idea was to emphasize that this was a Parish Church, and not a private Chapel for the Chetwynd family."
The Ingestre Festival
In 1957 and 1958 the Earl of Shrewsbury held a Festival of Opera at Ingestre Hall, with the ambition of turning it into a 'centre of music'.In 2009 a modern Ingestre Festival was held in the grounds of Ingestre Hall, with guided tours of the Hall and an old car rally.
The next Ingestre Festival will be held In 2013.
External links
- http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/STS/Ingestre/index.html
- National Register of Archives, holdings relating to Ingestre
- History of Ingestre
- Staffordshire Online Gazetteer entry for Ingestre