St_Alban's_Church,_Tattenhall

St Alban's Church, Tattenhall

St Alban's Church, Tattenhall

Church in Cheshire, England

St Alban's Church is in the village of Tattenhall, Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Malpas. Its benefice is combined with that of All Saints, Handley.[1] The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.[2]

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History

It is thought that a church may have existed on this site at the time of the Norman conquest.[3] The tower and parts of the present church date from the early 16th century. The church was restored and largely remodelled in 1869–70 by John Douglas.[2] During this time the remains of an earlier church which had been destroyed by fire were discovered. Also discovered were a skeleton of a large man outside the north wall and a coffin containing bones under the floor of the church.[3]

Architecture

Exterior

The church is constructed of ashlar red sandstone and it has a green slate roof. The plan consists of a four-bay nave, five-bay north and south aisles, a two-bay chancel, a three-stage west tower and a south porch.[2] The tower has a west door above which is a three-light window. On either side of this are square tablets which are carved with shields and initials, the significance of which is not known. The belfry windows are of three lights above which is a string course with gargoyles. The top is embattled. The south porch, which was dated 1672, was replaced in 1893 by one of timber and plaster.[3]

Interior

In the church is a brass chandelier dated 1755. On the south wall of the chancel is a stained glass window which contains some medieval glass and depicts images of St Alban and St Stephen, and the coat of arms of the Touchet family.[3][4] In the south aisle is a window by Kempe dated 1896.[2] The stained glass in the east window is by Hardman and dates from about 1870. The glass from a similar date in the west window is by Lavers and Westlake.[5] There is a ring of six bells. Three of these are by Henry Oldfield II and dated 1596, two are by Gabriel Smith and dated 1710, and the other bell dated 1904 is by John Taylor and Company.[6] The parish registers begin in 1654 and the churchwardens' accounts are from 1764.[3]

External features

Sundial in churchyard

In the churchyard is a sundial of ashlar buff sandstone dating from the 18th century which was restored in the 20th century. It is listed at Grade II.[7] The churchyard also contains the war graves of a soldier of World War I, and two of World War II.[8]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Tattenhall, St Alban, Church of England, retrieved 15 October 2009
  2. [2]
    Historic England, "Church of St Alban, Tattenhall (Grade II*) (1230254)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 26 August 2012
  3. [3]
    Richards, Raymond (1947), Old Cheshire Churches, London: B. T Batsford, pp. 324–328
  4. [4]
    Tattenhall, St Alban, Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi, retrieved 2 January 2011
  5. [5]
    Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, p. 626, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
  6. [6]
    Tattenhall S Alban, Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers, retrieved 11 August 2008
  7. [7]
    Historic England, "Sundial in Church of St Alban Churchyard, Tattenhall (Grade II) (1230255)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 26 August 2012
  8. [8]
    TATTENHALL (ST. ALBAN) CHURCHYARD, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, retrieved 4 February 2013
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