All Saints Church, Church Lawton
Church in Cheshire, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Church in Cheshire, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
All Saints’ Church stands on a mound close to Lawton Hall in the small village of Church Lawton, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building,[1] and is an Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Congleton.[2]
All Saints’ Church, Church Lawton | |
---|---|
53.0987°N 2.2678°W | |
OS grid reference | SJ 822 556 |
Location | Church Lawton, Cheshire |
Country | England |
Denomination | Anglican |
Website | http://www.allsaintschurchlawton.co.uk/ |
History | |
Status | Parish church |
Founded | Late 11th century |
Founder(s) | Hugh de Mara, Lord of Lawton (?) |
Dedication | All Saints |
Events | Struck by lightning 1652 Nave destroyed by fire 1798 |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Heritage designation | Grade II* |
Designated | 14 February 1967 |
Architectural type | Church |
Style | Norman, Perpendicular, Neoclassical |
Completed | 1923 |
Construction cost | £8,000 |
Specifications | |
Materials | Tower: red and buff sandstone Body: brick, tile roof |
Administration | |
Province | York |
Diocese | Chester |
Archdeaconry | Macclesfield |
Deanery | Congleton |
Parish | Church Lawton |
Clergy | |
Rector | in Interregnum |
Laity | |
Reader(s) | Margaret Cruxton, Beverlie Boulton |
The church was founded around the end of the 11th century, probably by Hugh de Mara, Lord of Lawton.[3] There is a tradition that in the 8th century the body of St Werburgh rested overnight on the site of the church while it was being carried from Lincolnshire to Chester.[4] In 1652 the church was struck by lightning and 11 people in the church were killed. The body of the church was destroyed by fire in 1798 and rebuilt by 1803.[3] Following the fire of 1798 the body of the church was rebuilt in brick in neoclassical style.[1] The cost of this was around £8,000 (equivalent to £1,060,000 in 2023).[4][5] A south porch was added as a War Memorial in 1923.[6]
The tower at the west end, dating from the 16th century, is built of red and buff sandstone in Perpendicular style. On the south face of the tower are carved a chalice and the initials "I. B.".[1] These initials are those of the parish priest of the time, John Bybber,[3] or Byber.[4] The bell openings contain Y-tracery. On each side of the church are two lunette windows, with two round-headed windows between them. At the east end of the church is a Venetian window.[7] A Norman doorway which survived the fire of 1798 has been reset in the south wall of the nave.[8]
Inside the church at the west end is a gallery dated 1717 which also survived the fire.[1] It was planned to refurbish the church in 1873 but the full refurbishment did not occur. At the time the old box pews were replaced with the present pews and a two-manual organ was installed in the gallery.[4] Also inside the church are the royal arms of George III and six hatchments of the Lawton family.[9] At the base of a stairway leading to the gallery is the tomb of John Byber on which are carved his initials.[10] Displayed under the gallery are some 13th-century flooring tiles which were discovered during the 1874 restoration.[11] There is a ring of eight bells. Five of these which are dated 1713 are by Richard Sanders; the other three are by John Taylor and Company, one of which is dated 1882 and the other two are dated 1901.[12] The parish registers start in 1559 and the churchwardens' accounts date from 1691.[3]
The churchyard contains the war graves of two First World War soldiers.[13] In the rectory garden is a font dating from the middle of the 18th century.[3]
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