History

Said to have been adapted from an C18 barn, but although the nave has barn-like proportions and is the earliest component of the building, its openings are consistent with a new build, perhaps incorporating part of the fabric of an earlier building in the lower courses. It was converted to a church by William Smith in 1836, who added the transepts (possibly later since the building is shown without them on the 1839 Tithe map). The chancel and tower were added in 1864.

Exterior

A parish church in the simple Gothic characteristic of the early C19, of cruciform plan with S tower E of the transept, of brick with slate roof behind stone coped gables to the nave, but brick coping to the transepts and chancel. The nave has sawtooth eaves. Windows have mainly brick mullions with 4-centred lights. The W entrance has a 4-centred head with double studded doors, above which is a 3-light window. The nave has 3-light windows either side of the transepts, except where obscured by the tower and vestry. Both transepts have 3-light N and S windows under 4-centred heads and with wooden tracery, and 2 single windows in the side walls, except where obscured by the tower. The N transept also has, in its W wall, a gabled porch with narrow boarded door. The small chancel has pointed N and S windows and tall 3-light E window. A lean-to vestry to the E end of the nave S wall has a pointed door and 2-light window.

The 4-stage tower is stepped above the 2nd stage and has its entry at the 2nd stage on the S side, reached by ladder to a boarded door. The 3rd stage has an E window below blind roundels in each face, incorporating a clock (by Joyce of Whitchurch) in the W face. The bell stage has openings with louvres, below a dentil cornice and steep swept pyramidal roof.

Interior

The main W doorway opens to a vestibule beneath the gallery, which has double doors to the nave under a small-pane overlight with etched and marginal coloured glazing. The nave has a 5-bay king-post roof with raking struts and standing on cast-iron brackets. Chancel and transepts have 4-centred arches from the nave. A raked W gallery has a frontal with blind pointed arches. A simple dog-leg gallery stair in the nave has turned newels and plain balusters to the upper flight only. In the 2-bay transepts a central truss has a tie beam supporting an arched brace. In the S transept is a Tudor-headed boarded door to a vestry at the base of the tower. The chancel has a C20 panelled reredos.

The octagonal font, of 1864, is in Perpendicular style with quatrefoils around the bowl. The freestone polygonal pulpit and reading desk form a pair, the pulpit with cusped arches and the reading desk incorporating a central quatrefoil. Pews in the nave and the choir stalls are dated 1938 on a brass plaque in the nave wall. The transepts have box pews, said to have been brought from Gresford.

The E window depicts the Parable of the Sower and is dated 1963. The N and S chancel windows have foliage pattern glass, influenced by the style of William Morris, of late C19 or early C20 commemorating the Wardle family. A brass plaque in the N wall commemorates James Roberts (d 1905) by Wippell & Co, and 2 simple brass plaques in the S wall commemorate John Healey (d 1906) and 3 of his descendants (d 1902-89).

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its special architectural interest as a largely unaltered church retaining the simple Gothic style, barn-like interior and W gallery characteristic of churches in the period before the C19 Gothic Revival.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29481928

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)