St Michael's Church, Ditton
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| St Michael's Church, Ditton | |
St Michael's Church, Ditton |
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  Shown within Cheshire
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| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ditton, Widnes, Halton, Cheshire, England |
| Geographic coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Year consecrated | 1876 |
| Leadership | Father A Fleming |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Henry Clutton |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Year completed | 1879 |
| Construction cost | £16,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 120 feet (37 m) |
| Width | 60 feet (18 m) |
| Spire height | 120 feet (37 m) |
| Materials | Red ashlar sandstone, slate roof |
St Michael's Church, Ditton is in Ditton, an area of Widnes, Halton, Cheshire, England (grid reference SJ494853). It is a Grade II* listed building.[1] It is an active Roman Catholic church.[2]
Contents |
[edit] History
The church was founded when Jesuits expelled from Germany in 1872 settled in Ditton. They formed a community and between 1876 and 1879 built the church.[3] It was designed by Henry Clutton.[1] The cost of the church, £16,000, was met by Lady Mary Stapleton-Bretherton of Ditton Hall. In 1979 the interior of the church was reordered by Bartlett and Purnell.[4]
[edit] Structure
[edit] Exterior
The church is built in red ashlar sandstone with a slate roof. Its plan is cruciform with short transepts and a west tower. It has an eight bay arcade which takes in the nave and the chancel. The tower is in three stages with a steep saddleback roof. The entrance to the church is through the west door of the tower above which are three lancet windows. Above these are three-light louvred bell openings and a balustrade. The windows in the gables of the chancel and transepts are rose windows with stained glass. Elsewhere the windows are lancets.[1] At the east end are two lancets separated by a large shaft.[4]
[edit] Interior
The ceiling is barrel vaulted, boarded with hardwood, running through the nave and chancel. In the north transept is an organ and confessionals are in the south transept. The chancel has a yellow sandstone wall and a marble floor; the walls of the nave are plastered.[1] The altar and lectern are made from Clipsham stone and the stained glass comes from Cologne.[4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d Images of England: Church of St Michael, Widnes. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-02-02.
- ^ Widnes. Archdiocese of Liverpool. Retrieved on 2008-03-19.
- ^ Diggle, Rev. G. E. (1961). A History of Widnes. Widnes: Corporation of Widnes, 67–68.
- ^ a b c Pollard, Richard; Nikolaus Pevsner (2006). The Buildings of England: Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West. New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 657. ISBN 0 300 10910 5.
