Church in Cheshire, England
St Mary's Church, Handbridge St Mary's Church, Handbridge
St Mary's Church, Handbridge
Location in Cheshire
53°10′58″N 2°53′20″W / 53.1829°N 2.8889°W / 53.1829; -2.8889 OS grid reference SJ 406 655 Location Handbridge, Chester, Cheshire Country England Denomination Anglican Churchmanship Broad church Website www.stmaryschester.co.uk Status Parish church Functional status Active Heritage designation Grade II* Designated 10 January 1972 Architect(s) F. B. Wade, Architectural type Church Style Gothic Revival Completed 1914 Spire height 168 feet (51.2 m) Materials Red sandstone , slate roofs Province York Diocese Chester Archdeaconry Chester Deanery Chester Parish St Mary without the Walls, Chester Rector Revd Dr R. P. Whaite Assistant priest(s) Revd John Carhart, Director of music Michael Reynolds Churchwarden(s) Lynne Jones (from 2023), Parish administrator Doris Keen
St Mary's Church is located on Overleigh Road in Handbridge , an area south of the River Dee , in the city of Chester, Cheshire , England. It is also known as the Church of St Mary-without-the-Walls , which was to distinguish it from Church of St Mary-on-the-Hill across the River Dee within the city walls . The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building .[1] It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester , the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester.[2]
History The church was built between 1885 and 1887 to a design by F. B. Wade for the 1st Duke of Westminster .[3] A porch was added on the south face of the tower in 1914 which was designed by P. H. Lockwood.[1]
Architecture Exterior St Mary's is constructed in ashlar Waverton stone with dressings of Runcorn sandstone .[3] It has Westmorland green slate roofs. The plan consists of a five-bay nave with a clerestory , a three-bay chancel , a chapel at the southeast, an organ chamber and a vestry . There are two porches, one on the south and one on the north. At the west end is a three-stage tower with a recessed spire. It has clock faces to the north, west and south, paired louvred bell-openings on each face, a machicolated parapet , two pinnacles at each corner, lucarnes to each cardinal face of the spire and a weathervane .[1]
Interior The baptistry is in the tower and has an encaustic tiled floor and a stone font with an oak cover. The stained glass in the baptistry is dated 1887 and is by Edward Frampton . It depicts Christ's baptism . In the baptistry is a portrait memorial dated 1900 to the first Duke of Westminster. The nave is floored with wood blocks. There are three steps up to the chancel with wrought iron rails. The chancel has a mosaic floor. The southeast chapel has a wrought iron screen. The pulpit and lectern are in oak. To the north of the chancel is a sedilia . The east window is probably also by Frampton.[1] The reredos was designed by Frederic Shields and made in cloisonné by Clement Heaton.[3] There is a ring of eight bells which were cast by Mears and Stainbank at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1887.[4]
External features The walls, gates and railings of the churchyard were also designed by F. B. Wade for the first Duke of Westminster in 1887, and are listed Grade II.[5]
See also References
^ a b c d Historic England , "Church of St Mary, Handbridge (1375848)", National Heritage List for England , retrieved 28 July 2012 ^ St Mary without the Walls, Chester, Church of England , retrieved 2 January 2011 ^ a b c Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward ; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire , The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press , p. 282, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6 ^ Handbridge S Mary, Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers , retrieved 14 August 2008 ^ Historic England, "Wall, railings and gates to St Mary's churchyard and rectory, Chester (1375849)", National Heritage List for England , retrieved 28 July 2012
External links
Churches in Cheshire
St Mary's Church, Acton Alderley Edge Methodist Church St Philip's Church, Alderley Edge St John the Baptist's Church, Aldford Christ Church, Alsager St Mary Magdalene's Church, Alsager St John the Evangelist's Church, Alvanley St Mark's Church, Antrobus St Cross Church, Appleton Thorn St Elizabeth's Church, Ashley St John the Evangelist's Church, Ashton Hayes St Mary's Church, Astbury St Peter's Church, Aston-by-Sutton Audlem Baptist Church St James' Church, Audlem St Oswald's Church, Backford St Michael's Church, Baddiley Christ Church, Barnton St Bartholomew's Church, Barrow St Bertoline's Church, Barthomley Holy Trinity Church, Bickerton St Wenefrede's Church, Bickley Bollington Methodist Church St John the Baptist's Church, Bollington St Oswald's Church, Bollington Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bosley St Paul's Church, Boughton St Oswald's Church, Brereton Brown Knowl Methodist Church St Mary's Church, Bruera St Boniface's Church, Bunbury St Mary's and St Michael's Church, Burleydam St Nicholas' Church, Burton St John's Church, Burwardsley St John the Evangelist's Church, Byley Holy Trinity Church, Capenhurst Holy Trinity Chapel, Capesthorne St John the Evangelist's Church, Chelford English Presbyterian Church of Wales, Chester Chester Cathedral Christ Church, Chester Holy Trinity Church, Chester Northgate Church, Chester St Andrew's Church, Chester St Francis' Church, Chester St John the Baptist's Church, Chester St Peter's Church, Chester Church of St Mary-on-the-Hill, Chester St Michael's Church, Chester St Nicholas' Chapel, Chester St Olave's Church, Chester St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Chester St Werburgh's Church, Chester Welsh Presbyterian Church, Chester Zion Chapel, Chester St Nicholas' Chapel, Cholmondeley St James' Church, Christleton All Saints Church, Church Lawton St Bartholomew's Church, Church Minshull St Mary's Church, Coddington St Mary's Church, Congleton St Peter's Church, Congleton St Michael's Church, Coppenhall St John's Church, Cotebrook St Barnabas' Church, Crewe St Mary's Church, Crewe St Peter's Church, Crewe Union Street Baptist Church, Crewe St Michael and All Angels Church, Crewe Green Christ Church, Croft Christ Church, Crowton All Saints' Church, Daresbury St Wilfrid's Church, Davenham St Peter's Church, Delamere St Mary's Church, Disley St Michael's Church, Ditton St John's Church, Doddington St Mary's Church, Dodleston St Luke's Church, Dunham on the Hill Christ Church, Eaton St Mary's Church, Eccleston Christ Church, Ellesmere Port St Chad's Church, Farndon St Luke's Church, Farnworth Forest Chapel St Laurence's Church, Frodsham St James' Church, Gawsworth St Wilfrid's Church, Grappenhall St Luke's Church, Goostrey St Mary and All Saints' Church, Great Budworth All Saints Church, Great Saughall Baptist Chapel, Great Warford St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton St Mary's Church, Hale St Mary's Church, Halton St Mary's Church, Handbridge
All Saints Church, Handley St Peter's Church, Hargrave St John's Church, Hartford All Saints Church, Harthill St Matthew's Church, Haslington St Philip's Church, Hassall Green St Paul's Church, Helsby St Thomas' Church, Henbury St John's Church, High Legh St Mary's Chapel, High Legh St Luke's Church, Holmes Chapel Church of St Mary of the Angels, Hooton St Michael's Church, Hulme Walfield Holy Trinity Church, Hurdsfield St James' Church, Ince St Philip's Church, Kelsall St John the Evangelist's Church, Kingsley Brook Street Chapel, Knutsford St Cross Church, Knutsford St John the Baptist's Church, Knutsford St Peter's Church, Little Budworth St Michael and All Angels Church, Little Leigh St Oswald's Church, Lower Peover St Luke's Church, Lower Whitley Lymm Baptist Church St Mary's Church, Lymm King Edward Street Chapel, Macclesfield St Alban's Church, Macclesfield St George's Church, Macclesfield St Michael's Church, Macclesfield St Paul's Church, Macclesfield St Peter's Church, Macclesfield Macclesfield United Reformed Church St Oswald's Church, Malpas St Michael's Church, Marbury St James' and St Paul's Church, Marton St Michael and All Angels, Middlewich St Peter's Church, Minshull Vernon Minshull Vernon United Reformed Church St Wilfrid's Church, Mobberley St Stephen's Church, Moulton St Mary's Church, Nantwich St Mary's and St Helen's Church, Neston St Mary's Church, Nether Alderley St John the Evangelist's Church, Norley St Michael's Church, North Rode Holy Trinity Church, Northwich St Helen Witton Church, Northwich St Luke's Church, Oakhanger St Peter's Church, Oughtrington St Catherine's Church, Over Alderley St Lawrence's Church, Over Peover St Paul's Church, Over Tabley St Chad's Church, Over Over United Reformed Church St Thomas' Church, Parkgate St Peter's Church, Plemstall Poole Methodist Chapel St Christopher's Church, Pott Shrigley St George's Church, Poynton St Peter's Church, Prestbury St Mary's Church, Pulford Holy Trinity Church, Rainow St Mary's Church, Rostherne All Saints' Church, Runcorn Holy Trinity Church, Runcorn Jenkin Chapel St Mary's Church, Sandbach Sandbach Methodist Church St John the Evangelist's Church, Sandbach Heath St John the Evangelist's Church, Sandiway All Saints Church, Scholar Green St Edith's Church, Shocklach St Michael's Church, Shotwick All Saints Church, Siddington St John the Baptist's Church, Smallwood All Saints Chapel, Somerford St Lawrence's Church, Stoak St Thomas' Church, Stockton Heath St Matthew's Church, Stretton St Peter's Church, Swettenham St Peter's Church, Tabley St Helen's Church, Tarporley St Andrew's Church, Tarvin St Alban's Church, Tattenhall All Saints Church, Thelwall St Mary's Church, Thornton-le-Moors St John's Church, Threapwood St Mary's Church, Tilston St Jude's Church, Tilstone Fearnall St John the Evangelist's Church, Toft St Chad's Chapel, Tushingham St Chad's Church, Tushingham Holy Ascension Church, Upton-by-Chester St Leonard's Church, Warmingham Holy Trinity Church, Warrington St Alban's Church, Warrington St Elphin's Church, Warrington St John the Evangelist's Church, Warrington St Mary's Church, Warrington St Peter's Church, Waverton Methodist Church, Weaverham St Mary's Church, Weaverham Wesley Methodist Church, Chester All Saints' Church, Weston, Cheshire St John the Evangelist's Church, Weston Christ Church, Wheelock St Mary's Church, Whitegate St Ambrose Church, Widnes St Bede's Church, Widnes St Marie's Church, Widnes St Mary's Church, Widnes St Saviour's Church, Wildboarclough Christ Church, Willaston Dean Row Chapel, Wilmslow St Bartholomew's Church, Wilmslow St Michael's Church, Wincle St John the Evangelist's Church, Winsford St Oswald's Church, Winwick Church of St Mary the Virgin, Wistaston St Oswald's Church, Worleston St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury
Media related to St Mary's Handbridge at Wikimedia Commons