Guided Tour

The church is built in early gothic style. The outside walls are Kerridge stone with red Eddisbury stone as an additional dressing. Inside, the interior walls are are lined with Kerridge stone, although the arches are of Kelsall stone and the pillars are of red sandstone. The windows are glazed with cathedral glass except those which have been replaced with stained glass. The tower is about 70 feet high, built in the form of a square with a circular staircase on the southern side.

The main entrance to the church is now through the new west-end of the building and through the new entrance under the tower (what was originally the baptistry).

Turning right and walking up the south aisle the visitor comes to a number of stained glass windows:

  • The first four represent St. Edmund (a Saxon king 840 to 870 martyred by the Danes), St. Oswald (604 to 642 another early martyr), St. Alban (died 304 – the first English martyr) and St. George (circ 300). They were donated by the Marshall Family in memory of George Marshall, a soldier who died in Africa, and Charles Marshall who was the vicar of a church in Leeds;
  • The next pair represent St. John the Baptist and St. James (a disciple of Jesus) and are in memory of Sir Thomas Marshall;
  • The last pair represent St. Anne (by legend, the mother of the Virgin Mary) and St. Lucy (another early martyr) and are in memory of Lucy Marshall.

Further information is provided by inscriptions adjacent to these windows. Continuing along the south side of the church, the visitor passes a screen which had been placed across the chancel in 1906 and was not part of the original building. This was first moved to the entrance to the baptistry (under the tower) in 1967, and moved a second time to its present position in 1994 when the flooring was renewed. The brass plaque recording the erection of the screen in memory of George Hatt-Cooke remains under the tower.

The chancel contains a brass plaque in memory of Edmund Eddowes, vicar from 1864-1908, who was incumbent during the construction of the present church. The stained glass windows represent on the north side St. Matthew and St. Mark and on the south side St. Luke and St. John, an inscription records that they were the gift of William Hatton. The large East window shows scenes from the life of Jesus with the crucifixion placed centrally, with His baptism above, and the last supper below; to the left are shown His entrance to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (top) and His nativity (bottom); to the right - His ascension to Heaven (top) and the empty tomb (bottom).

Bells
 

The north transept (which for some years served as a side chapel), contains a window showing St. Peter walking on the sea (given in memory of Captain Edward Knowles who went down with his ship) and a brass plaque in memory of William Hatton erected by his sister. The north window, which depicts St. Peter flanked by Sarah and Elizabeth, was given in memory of Peter and Bessy Hatton.

Walking back down the north aisle, the visitor comes to a brass tablet in memory of Herbert Hatt-Cooke, and the only stained glass window on this side of the church. It illustrates the parable of “The Good Samaritan” and was given in memory of Egerton Wright. As visitors approach the west end of the church, they can see stained glass windows either side of the tower arch. The window on the north side shows St. Barnabas and St. Lucy, that on the south side shows St. Luke and St. Dorcas. A large window dominates the west end of the church; this contains three figures, representing Solomon flanked by Zerubbabel and Hezekiah which was given in memory of John Littledale by his friends.

As visitors return to the extension, they will note under the tower two marble tablets in memory of Thomas Marshall junior and Thomas Marshall senior and his wife Elizabeth. A brass plaque records the gift of the screen which used to stand here (this is the screen mentioned above).

Another plaque by the door in to the extension records the dedication of the bells in the tower above.

Contacting us

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01606 872255

School Lane, Hartford, CW8 1NP