Description

SJ 43 SW
9/100

ELLESMERE RURAL C.P.
COLEMERE
Church of St John the Evangelist

(formerly listed as Church of St. John the Evangelist, Lyneal)

20.8.71

GV
II*
Parish church. 1870 by G.E Street for Marian, Viscountess Alford, in memory of her son, the second Earl Brownlow (died 1867). Snecked and tooled yellow limestone ashlar with red sandstone ashlar bands; machine tile roofs with stepped coped verges; ornamental ceramic cresting to chancel, which has floriated Celtic cross to gable end. Nave and chancel in one with bellcote at junction; north east vestry and south east organ chamber. Early Decorated style.

Nave: south side has two paired trefoil-headed lancets with quatrefoils above; moulded cill band and chamfered plinth. Triple-chamfered pointed doorway in slight projection has two orders of shafts and bell capitals. West end has three stepped cusped lancets with hoodmoulds and moulded cill band; incised diamond-shaped patterns above outer windows. North side has three broad paired trefoil-headed lancets with quatrefoils above. Gabled bellcote has twin cusped openings with bell to south opening; iron cross to gable.

Chancel: south wall has cinquefoil-headed lancet; east window with geometrical tracery in five lights, hoodmould and square label-stops. Stepped angle buttresses to south-east corner. North lean-to vestry running full length of chancel and slightly overlapping nave has prominent gabled dormer breaking eaves with tall paired cusped lancets and quatrefoil above; moulded cill band. Pointed doorway with hoodmould to east. West wall has cinquefoil-headed lancet with cusped trefoil above and east wall has broad trefoil-headed paired lancets. Stack in roof slope at junction with chancel has three stages and pierced Gothic tracery to gable. South lean-to organ chamber also overlapping nave has dormer like that in vestry and pointed doorway to west with hoodmould and square label-stops. East and west walls have cinquefoil-headed lancets with cusped trefoils above; moulded cill band terminating in square label-stops. Late C19 cast-iron pump with fluted top, curved handle and decorated spout fixed to east wall.

Interior: exposed stone to walls throughout. Trussed rafter roof to nave and canted and boarded roof to chancel. Moulded and chamfered pointed chancel arch. Low stone screen attached with blind quatrefoils separates nave from raised chancel. Circular stone pulpit with pierced pointed quatrefoils set in lozenges is part of composition and projects to west on north. Pointed arches to lean-tos immediately to west of screen and also in chancel, latter filled by wooden parclose screens with geometrical tracery and doors to east. Trefoil-headed piscina and two cinquefoil-headed sedilia in south wall of raised sanctuary. This has uncusped trefoil-headed doorway on north side (leading to vestry) and decorated wrought-iron communion rails with wooden handrail. Stone reredos has triptych with carved Crucifixion panel to centre, floral motifs above and glazed wall tiles to either side of altar, depicting corn and vine in vases. Encaustic floor tiles throughout, with representations of birds and lions in chancel plus green glaze to undecorated tiles in sanctuary.

Circular font at west end of nave has small plate tracery panels alternating with rosettes in circular recesses below; moulded plinth and fluting under basin. Pews and choir stalls probably also by Street, as are cast-iron and brass sconces attached to latter and brass sconces fixed to pulpit. Brass lectern and oil lamps in nave are also contemporary. Stained glass in south-east window of nave commemorates Louis Belson (died 1874). Brass plate on north wall records building of church. Small iron-bound chest in vestry, which has infilled fireplace with trefoil-headed surround.

The parish of Lyneal-cum-Colemere was carved out of Ellesmere and Welshampton in 1869.

Listing NGR: SJ4377932908

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17540629

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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