Holy Cross Church, Woodchurch
Holy Cross Church, Woodchurch | ||
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Style Gothic, Gothic Revival | | |
Completed | 1965 | |
Specifications | ||
Materials | Stone, slate roofs with some copper covering | |
Administration | ||
Province | York | |
Diocese | Chester | |
Archdeaconry | Chester | |
Deanery | Birkenhead | |
Parish | Woodchurch | |
Clergy | ||
Rector | Revd. Anne Davis |
Holy Cross Church is in
History
The fabric of the nave originates from the 12th century.[3] However, the circular style graveyard suggests a pre-Norman date, possible Saxon or Romano-British. This early date is supported by the discovery of a portion of a 'Class D' Anglo-Saxon wheel cross at the grounds of the church in the late 19th or early 20th century and placed within the wall of the chancel within the church. The cross probably stood intact in the graveyard until the 17th century when many such crosses were destroyed by the Puritans [4] In the 14th century the south aisle, chancel and tower were added.[3] The south aisle was rebuilt in the 16th century and a south porch was added. Heavy diagonal buttresses were added to the tower in 1675. The vestry was built in 1766.[5] The north aisle by Hubert Worthington was added in 1964–65.[2]
Architecture
Exterior
The church is built in stone. The roofs are of slate with copper covering the latest additions to the church. Its plan consists of a nave with north and south aisles, a chancel, vestry and south porch. The tower is in two stages, the lower stage being very high. At the northwest and southwest corners of the tower are massive stepped buttresses. To its southeast is a square stair
Interior
On the north wall of the chancel are three 17th-century wooden epitaph panels containing the
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Chancel showing bench ends
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Hocknell epitaph panel
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Alan Durst's rood screen
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Kempe's reconstructed Jesse window
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East window
Organ Specification
The organ was built in 1938 by Rushworth and Dreaper and rebuilt in 1997 by the same firm.[citation needed] It is an electronic extension organ, with 2 manuals and a concave radiating pedal board. There are also confusingly 2 boxes, meaning that the entire instrument is boxed. Listed below are the list of stops, which on the instrument are tabbed, along with a list of where stops have been used again, and which box controls the stop. The number in brackets refers to the stop number below which from which it is borrowed.[citation needed]
Detailed stop specifications
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Swell Compass: Low C- C4 (61 keys) 1. Contra Salicional, 16', LH Box,(22) 2. Stopped Diapason, 8', RH Box, (13+24) 3. Salicional, 8', LH Box, (14+25) 4. Flute, 4', RH Box, (16+26) 5. Flautina, 2', RH Box 6. Larigot, 1⅓', RH Box 7. Twenty Second, 1' LH Box 8. Contra Tromba, 16', RH Box (27) 9. Tromba, 8', RH Box (28) 10. Octave Tromba, 4', RH Box Great Compass: Low C- C4 (61 keys) 11. Bourdon, 16', RH Box (21) 12. Open Diapason, 8', LH Box (23) 13. Stopped Diapason, 8', RH Box (2+24) 14. Salicional, 8', LH Box (3+25) 15. Octave Diapason, 4', LH Box 16. Flute, 4', RH Box (4+26) 17. Dulcet, 4', LH Box 18. Nazard, 2⅔', RH Box 19. Fifteenth, 2', LH Box Pedal Compass: Low C- C1 (30 keys) 20. Acoustic Bass, 32', RH Box 21. Sub Bass, 16', RH Box (11) 22. Salicional, 16', LH Box (1) 23. Octave, 8', LH Box (12) 24. Bass Flute, 8', RH Box (2+13) 25. Salicional, 8', LH Box (3+14) 26. Octave Flute, 4', RH Box (4+16) 27. Tromba, 16', RH Box (8) 28. Octave Tromba, 8', RH Box (9) Accessories and couplers Swell to Great Swell to Pedal Great to Peal 3 thumb pistons each to Great and Swell, giving double touch Pedal 3 toe Pedal pistons 3 toe Swell pistons Reversible toe "Great to Pedal" piston |
See also
References
- ^ Churches in the Diocese, Diocese of Chester, archived from the original on 15 April 2009, retrieved 29 April 2009
- ^ a b c Historic England, "Church of the Holy Cross, Birkenhead (1217887)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 27 September 2011
- ^ a b c d e f g About the Church Building, The Church of England, retrieved 23 December 2007
- ^ Cootes 2006: Undergraduate dissertation, University of Liverpool
- ISBN 1-871731-23-2
- ^ a b c d Richards, Raymond (1947), Old Cheshire Churches, London: Batsford, pp. 364–367
- ^ a b Woodchurch, Holy Cross, Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi (CVMA) of Great Britain, retrieved 2 January 2011
- ^ ISBN 0-907768-18-0
- ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
- ^ Woodchurch Holy Cross, Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers, retrieved 12 August 2008
Further reading
- Budden, Charles W. (1922). Rambles round the old churches of Wirral. Liverpool: Edward Howell Ltd.