St Peter's Church, Plemstall
Encyclopedia
St Peter's Church, Plemstall stands in an isolated position at the end of a country lane near the village of Mickle Trafford
, Cheshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the diocese of Chester
, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester. Its benefice
is combined with that of St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton
.
, later Archbishop of Canterbury
, lived as a hermit
. The surrounding land used to be a marsh and the church stands in a slightly elevated area which was known as "The Isle of Chester". The original church was built in the 12th century but the present building dates mostly from the 15th century. This was financed by the Trafford family who lived locally. A tower was added at the west end in 1826. Inscriptions in the church show that there were restorations in 1684, 1711, 1802–03 and 1819. Death watch beetle
was found in some roof rafters and the church was re-roofed in 1958. Electric light was installed in the church in 1966 and central hearing was installed in 1968. Since then a toilet and an entrance for disabled people have been built on to the vestry on the north side. In 2006 new lighting was fitted in the church. The pews were removed from the Barnston Chapel and replaced by modern chairs.
with a roof of Welsh slate
in late Perpendicular style. The plan consists of a five-bay
nave
and a chancel
in one range, a north aisle
with a chapel at its east end, and a south porch. The tower has two bands and a cornice
with a castellated parapet
and crocket
ed finial
s. The porch, which was added in the 16th century, has grooves into which barriers could be inserted to prevent livestock from entering the church.
. Rev. Joseph Hooker Toogood, who was the incumbent
from 1907 to 1946, was responsible for much of the woodwork in the church. Richards quotes a letter from him dated 1946 in which Rev Toogood stated that he made improvements to the chancel screen. He then made a new altar
, the reredos
and panelling for the sanctuary. Subsequently he made the lectern
, refurnished much of the north chapel and improved the baptistry, including a new cover for the font
. He worked on the choirstalls and their canopy
and made figures for the sanctuary niches
and an alms
box. In addition he carved a list of sidesmen
on the west wall and a war memorial on the north wall.
The chapel at the east end of the north aisle is known as the Barnston Chapel. It was originally called the Trafford Chapel and was the burial place of the Traffords of Bridge Trafford. The lower part of the chapel screen was carved as a memorial to William de Trafford who was the vicar from 1403 to 1422. The altar in the chapel is Elizabethan
in style and was originally the main altar. On the north wall of the chapel are the crests
of the Trafford, Barnston and Savage families. It is possible to gain access to the Hurleston family tomb under the altar steps.
The baluster
altar rails date from the 18th century and the lower panelling of the chancel from the 15th century. To the right of the altar is a carved list of the rectors from 1291. The font dates possibly from the 16th century and its cover has a carving of the Madonna and Child made by Rev Toogood. In the north aisle is a three-decker pulpit
with an adjacent two-decker reader's desk dated 1722. The churchwarden
's pew is dated 1697; it is over 7 feet (2 m) feet in height, has a panelled back and a canopy supported by twisted columns. The organ dates from 1873 and was made by the Chester firm of Charles Whiteley. It was restored in 2003 by David Wells of Liverpool. A gold-painted inscription to the memory of Rev. Toogood hangs on a wooden plaque to the left of the church door. Fragments of glass dating as far back to the 14th century exist in some windows.
The ring
consists of three bells, one dated 1635 and the others 1663. The parish register
s begin in 1558 and the churchwarden
s' accounts in 1749. In 1945 the historian Raymond Richards presented to the church five bibles which are kept in a display case in the north aisle. These are a "Breeches" Bible
dated 1608, a King James' Bible of 1611, a folio edition of the bible printed by Edward Whitchurche in 1549, a black letter bible of 1549 and a King James' Bible of 1623.
, the tombchest of and a memorial to the Hurleston family. They date from about 1670 and attached is a memorial plaque dated 1727. The vault cover carries a baroque
tombchest on an acanthus
plinth
in ashlar
buff sandstone. The long sides have carved recumbent skeletons, one male and one female, with scrolls at the corners. It is listed Grade II*. Also in the churchyard are three other items which are listed Grade II. A pedestal
cenotaph
to the memory of Thomas Cawley and others stands by the chancel door. It is built of ashlar buff sandstone and is dated 1795. An 18th-century baluster
sundial
in buff sandstone is dated 1730. The west wall and the gate of the churchyard are built respectively from ashlar buff sandstone and wrought iron
and date from the 19th century.
Mickle Trafford
Mickle Trafford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It includes the area known as Plemstall. In 2004 the population of the civil parish was estimated to be 2,140, although the 2001 census recorded...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the diocese of Chester
Diocese of Chester
The Diocese of Chester is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York based in Chester, covering the county of Cheshire in its pre-1974 boundaries...
, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester. Its benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
is combined with that of St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton
St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton
St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton is in the village of Guilden Sutton, near Chester, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building. It continues to be active as an Anglican parish church. The church is in the diocese of Chester, the...
.
History
The recorded history of the church goes back to the 7th century. It is believed that the present church is built on the site where PlegmundPlegmund
Plegmund , after spending time as a hermit, became Archbishop of Canterbury in England from 890 to 914. He reorganised the Diocese of Winchester, creating four new sees, and worked with other scholars in translating religious works...
, later Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, lived as a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
. The surrounding land used to be a marsh and the church stands in a slightly elevated area which was known as "The Isle of Chester". The original church was built in the 12th century but the present building dates mostly from the 15th century. This was financed by the Trafford family who lived locally. A tower was added at the west end in 1826. Inscriptions in the church show that there were restorations in 1684, 1711, 1802–03 and 1819. Death watch beetle
Death watch beetle
The death watch beetle, Xestobium rufovillosum, is a woodboring beetle. The adult beetle is long, while the xylophagous larvae are up to long....
was found in some roof rafters and the church was re-roofed in 1958. Electric light was installed in the church in 1966 and central hearing was installed in 1968. Since then a toilet and an entrance for disabled people have been built on to the vestry on the north side. In 2006 new lighting was fitted in the church. The pews were removed from the Barnston Chapel and replaced by modern chairs.
Exterior
The church is built in red sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
with a roof of Welsh slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
in late Perpendicular style. The plan consists of a five-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
in one range, a north aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
with a chapel at its east end, and a south porch. The tower has two bands and a cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
with a castellated parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
and crocket
Crocket
A crocket is a hook-shaped decorative element common in Gothic architecture. It is in the form of a stylised carving of curled leaves, buds or flowers which is used at regular intervals to decorate the sloping edges of spires, finials, pinnacles, and wimpergs....
ed finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s. The porch, which was added in the 16th century, has grooves into which barriers could be inserted to prevent livestock from entering the church.
Interior
Internally there is a much-restored hammerbeam roofHammerbeam roof
Hammerbeam roof, in architecture, is the name given to an open timber roof, typical of English Gothic architecture, using short beams projecting from the wall.- Design :...
. Rev. Joseph Hooker Toogood, who was the incumbent
Incumbent (ecclesiastical)
In Anglican canon law, the incumbent of a benefice, usually the parish priest, holds the temporalities or assets and income.Depending on the terms of governance of each parish an incumbent might be either:...
from 1907 to 1946, was responsible for much of the woodwork in the church. Richards quotes a letter from him dated 1946 in which Rev Toogood stated that he made improvements to the chancel screen. He then made a new altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
, the reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
and panelling for the sanctuary. Subsequently he made the lectern
Lectern
A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, usually placed on a stand or affixed to some other form of support, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon...
, refurnished much of the north chapel and improved the baptistry, including a new cover for the font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
. He worked on the choirstalls and their canopy
Canopy (building)
A canopy is an overhead roof or else a structure over which a fabric or metal covering is attached, able to provide shade or shelter. A canopy can also be a tent, generally without a floor....
and made figures for the sanctuary niches
Niche (architecture)
A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
and an alms
Alms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
box. In addition he carved a list of sidesmen
Sidesperson
A sidesperson, correctly known as a sidesman or usher, in the Anglican Church is responsible for greeting members of the congregation, overseeing seating arrangements in church, and for taking the collection...
on the west wall and a war memorial on the north wall.
The chapel at the east end of the north aisle is known as the Barnston Chapel. It was originally called the Trafford Chapel and was the burial place of the Traffords of Bridge Trafford. The lower part of the chapel screen was carved as a memorial to William de Trafford who was the vicar from 1403 to 1422. The altar in the chapel is Elizabethan
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
in style and was originally the main altar. On the north wall of the chapel are the crests
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
of the Trafford, Barnston and Savage families. It is possible to gain access to the Hurleston family tomb under the altar steps.
The baluster
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
altar rails date from the 18th century and the lower panelling of the chancel from the 15th century. To the right of the altar is a carved list of the rectors from 1291. The font dates possibly from the 16th century and its cover has a carving of the Madonna and Child made by Rev Toogood. In the north aisle is a three-decker pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
with an adjacent two-decker reader's desk dated 1722. The churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
's pew is dated 1697; it is over 7 feet (2 m) feet in height, has a panelled back and a canopy supported by twisted columns. The organ dates from 1873 and was made by the Chester firm of Charles Whiteley. It was restored in 2003 by David Wells of Liverpool. A gold-painted inscription to the memory of Rev. Toogood hangs on a wooden plaque to the left of the church door. Fragments of glass dating as far back to the 14th century exist in some windows.
The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of three bells, one dated 1635 and the others 1663. The parish register
Parish register
A parish register is a handwritten volume, normally kept in a parish church or deposited within a county record office or alternative archive repository, in which details of baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded.-History:...
s begin in 1558 and the churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
s' accounts in 1749. In 1945 the historian Raymond Richards presented to the church five bibles which are kept in a display case in the north aisle. These are a "Breeches" Bible
Geneva Bible
The Geneva Bible is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into the English language, preceding the King James translation by 51 years. It was the primary Bible of the 16th century Protestant movement and was the Bible used by William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, John...
dated 1608, a King James' Bible of 1611, a folio edition of the bible printed by Edward Whitchurche in 1549, a black letter bible of 1549 and a King James' Bible of 1623.
External features
Attached to east end of church are the vaultBurial vault (tomb)
A burial vault is a structural underground tomb.It is a stone or brick-lined underground space or 'burial' chamber for the interment of a dead body or bodies. They were originally and are still often vaulted and usually have stone slab entrances...
, the tombchest of and a memorial to the Hurleston family. They date from about 1670 and attached is a memorial plaque dated 1727. The vault cover carries a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
tombchest on an acanthus
Acanthus (ornament)
The acanthus is one of the most common plant forms to make foliage ornament and decoration.-Architecture:In architecture, an ornament is carved into stone or wood to resemble leaves from the Mediterranean species of the Acanthus genus of plants, which have deeply cut leaves with some similarity to...
plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
in ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
buff sandstone. The long sides have carved recumbent skeletons, one male and one female, with scrolls at the corners. It is listed Grade II*. Also in the churchyard are three other items which are listed Grade II. A pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
to the memory of Thomas Cawley and others stands by the chancel door. It is built of ashlar buff sandstone and is dated 1795. An 18th-century baluster
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
in buff sandstone is dated 1730. The west wall and the gate of the churchyard are built respectively from ashlar buff sandstone and wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
and date from the 19th century.