St Hilary's Church, Wallasey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| St Hilary's Church, Wallasey | |
  Shown within Merseyside
|
|
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Wallasey, Wirral, Merseyside, England |
| Geographic coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Religious affiliation | Anglican |
| District | Diocese of Chester |
| Year consecrated | 1859 |
| Ecclesiastical status | Parish church |
| Leadership | Revd. Canon Paul Robinson, Rector |
| Website | St Hilary of Poitiers |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | W. & J. Hay |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Year completed | 1859 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone, slate roofs Separate tower in stone |
St Hilary's Church, Wallasey is in the town of Wallasey, Wirral, Merseyside, England (grid reference SJ296928). It consists of a church built in 1858–59[1] and the separate tower of a former medieval church.[2] Both the church and the tower are Grade II listed buildings. It continues to be an active parish church.[3]
Contents |
[edit] History
The present building is believed to be the sixth church on the site.[4] The first church is thought to have been built in Saxon times and was probably built of timber and of which there is no trace. Several stones have been found of a Norman structure on the site. It is thought that a new church was built between 1162 and 1182 by William de Waley. This was rebuilt and a tower added during the reigns of Edward I and Edward II. The next rebuilding was in the age of Henry VIII when the tower of 1530 was reconstructed. In 1757, the church was described as ruinous and it was rebuilt.[5] This structure was accidentally burnt down in 1857 and the church was rebuilt as a separate building in 1858–59, leaving the tower as a freestanding edifice. The architects of the present church were W. & J. Hay.[6]
[edit] Structure
The church is built in stone with a slate roof. Its plan consists of a nave with clerestory, north and south aisles under lean-to roofs, a crossing tower with transepts, and a chancel with a north vestry and a south chapel.[1]
The separate tower is built in stone and its lower parts date from the 13th century. It is in three stages with diagonal buttresses. On the north and east faces are blocked arches. The louvred bell openings have three lights and at the top is an embattled parapet with gargoyles.[2]
[edit] Fittings and furniture
The roof is arch-braced in type. In the chancel is a two-bay organ loft to the north and a two-bay chapel arcade to south. The wooden reredos has rich carving. The stalls are dated 1897 and are decorated with Arts and Crafts ornament and enamel plaques.[1] The ring is of six bells which are dated 1859. The churchwardens' accounts begin in 1658 and the parish registers in 1574; both were saved in the fire of 1857.[5]
The organ was built in 1861 by Henry Willis to the design of W.T. Best, who was organist at that time, with two manuals. Around 1903 the instrument was entirely reconstructed as a three-manual organ of 39 stops and 15 couplers, designed by Dr. James Lyon, who was organist at the time. The work was carried out by W. Johnson of Birkenhead. In 1924 the organ was moved to the north choir aisle above the vestry. The rebuilt organ was designed by George Dixon and built by Rushworth & Dreaper.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Images of England: Church of St Hilary, Wallasey. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
- ^ a b Images of England: Tower to former Church of St Hilary, Wallasey. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
- ^ St Hilary of Poitiers. St Hilary of Poitiers. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
- ^ History. St Hilary's Church, Wallasey. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
- ^ a b Richards, Raymond (1947). Old Cheshire Churches. London: Batsford, 334–338.
- ^ Salter, Mark (1995). The Old Parish Churches of Cheshire. Malvern: Folly Publications, 76. ISBN 1871731232.
- ^ Rhodes, Julian (1999). St. Hilary, Wallasey, Merseyside. The George Dixon Archive. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
