Holy Trinity Church, Eccleshall
| Holy Trinity Church, Eccleshall | |
|---|---|
| Specifications | |
| Height | 94 feet (29 m) |
| Bells | 8 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Lichfield |
| Deanery | Eccleshall Deanery[1] |
Holy Trinity Church in
The building dates mostly from the 13th century, and there was restoration in the 19th century. The church contains the tombs of four Bishops of Lichfield.
Anglo-Saxon period
The
The building
The oldest parts of the church, the foundations and pillars, date from around 1189, when Hugh Nonant was bishop of Lichfield. It is thought that the building of this time replaced a small Norman church.[4]
The chancel and arcades are largely 13th-century.[2] The clerestory was built in the 15th century.[4]
The height of the church, to the top edges of the tower battlements, is 94 feet (29 m). The tower shows two phases of English Gothic architecture, being in 13th-century Early English style for most of its height, with an extension of 15th-century Perpendicular style. The stone pinnacles on the tower were added in recognition of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.[5]
The sandstone font in the church dates from the 13th century.[4]
Restorations and alterations
In 1866–9 the church was restored by
The reredos was created in 1898 as a memorial to Colonel Francis Chambers; it was designed by Basil Champneys and made by Bridgemans of Lichfield.[2][4]
A raised dais at the east end of the nave was introduced in 2011. Approval for this (a faculty) had originally been refused by Chancellor Martyn Coates in a Lichfield Consistory Court judgment dated 5 November 2009; but in a judgment dated 31 July 2010 the Arches Court of Canterbury overturned Chancellor Coates' judgment on grounds both of substance and procedure (Re Holy Trinity, Eccleshall [2010]).
Organ
The organ was installed in 1827; it was rebuilt in 1913, and in 1930 by
The last work on the organ was in 2017, when it was repaired and enhanced at a cost of approximately £60,000.Clergy
-
Bishops at Eccleshall -
Vicars of Holy Trinity Church Eccleshall
Tombs of bishops and churchyard
The church contains the tombs of four Bishops of Lichfield.
The tomb of William Overton, bishop from 1579 until 1609, is in the chancel. It has a recumbent effigy of the bishop, and effigies of his two wives kneeling.[2][4] The tomb of James Bowstead, who became bishop in 1840, is in the north-east corner of the chancel, near the altar. He died aged 42, after a fall from a horse.[4]
Bishop John Lonsdale, who died in 1867, is buried in the north-east corner of the churchyard.[4]
The churchyard also contains five Commonwealth war graves, of three British Army soldiers of World War I and a British Army officer and Royal Navy sailor of World War II.[7]
Bells
Four bells were hung in 1547. In 1710, these were replaced by six bells, cast by
See also
References
- ^ Eccleshall Holy Trinity Diocese of Lichfield, accessed 13 June 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Historic England. "Church of the Holy Trinity (1180335)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
- ^ D. M. Palliser, The Staffordshire Landscape. Hodder and Stoughton, 1976. Pages 44–45.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Holy Trinity Church Eccleshall: a history & guide. Obtained at the church in July 2015.
- ^ a b Bell tower Eccleshall Parish. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
- ^ Organ Restoration Appeal Official site, accessed 13 October 2016: via Wayback Machine.
- ^ Eccleshall (Holy Trinity) churchyard Commonwealth War Graves Commission, accessed 13 June 2019.
External links
- Holy Trinity Church, Eccleshall; thepotteries.org