St John the Evangelist's Church, Norley

St John the Evangelist's Church stands to the west of the village of Norley, Cheshire, England.[1] The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.[2] It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Frodsham. Its benefice is combined with those of Christ Church, Crowton, and St John the Evangelist, Kingsley.[3]

St John the Evangelist's Church, Norley
St John the Evangelist's Church, Norley
St John the Evangelist's Church, Norley
Location in Cheshire
OS grid referenceSJ 561,728
LocationNorley, Cheshire
CountryEngland
DenominationAnglican
WebsiteNorley, St John the Evangelist
History
StatusParish church
DedicationJohn the Evangelist
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II*
Designated17 April 1986
Architect(s)J. L. Pearson
Architectural typeChurch
StyleGothic Revival
Groundbreaking1878
Completed1879
Construction cost£3,500
Specifications
MaterialsRed ashlar sandstone
Red tile roof
Administration
ParishSt John, Norley
DeaneryFrodsham
ArchdeaconryChester
DioceseChester
ProvinceYork

History

The first church to be erected on the site was a chapel of ease erected in 1833 and consecrated on 24 February 1835.[4] The present church was built in 1878–79 and designed by J. L. Pearson.[2] The land for the original church had been given by Samuel Woodhouse of Norley Hall.[5] The new church cost £3,500 (equivalent to £360,000 in 2019).[4][6]

Architecture

Exterior

The church is built in tooled ashlar red sandstone with a red tile roof. Its style is that of the later 13th century. Its plan consists of a four-bay nave, a north aisle, a two-bay chancel and a vestry, a central tower, a north transept and a south porch which is approached by 11 steps. The nave and the tower have two-light windows. Above the tower window is a clock face and above this is a pair of two-light louvred bell openings. At the top of the tower is a plain parapet. The chancel windows are lancets and at the east end are three tall windows.[2] The window in the north wall of the transept is more ornate than that in the south wall of the tower.[7]

Interior

In the chancel is a sedilia. The reredos of 1930, the altar of 1937, and screens of 1919 and 1921 were designed by F. H. Crossley. Most of the stained glass was made in the early and mid 20th century by William Morris of Westminster. The west window of the north aisle is dated 1950, and is by Trena Cox.[7] In the transept is a Willis organ, which was restored in 1985 by David Wells.[8] The font is square and probably came from the older church.[2]

External features

In the churchyard is a memorial to the Woodhouse family with an earliest date of 1840. It is constructed in ashlar limestone on a red sandstone base and includes marble plaques. It is a large monument standing about three metres high. On its top is a sarcophagus on claw feet. It is listed at Grade II.[5] The churchyard also contains three war graves, consisting of two soldiers of World War I (at the northeast corner of the church), and one of World War II (west of the church).[9]

See also

References
  1. Norley, Streetmap, retrieved 18 January 2011
  2. Historic England, "Church of St John Evangelist, Norley (1139162)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 11 August 2012
  3. St John the Evangelist, Norley, Church of England, retrieved 13 October 2009
  4. Wright, Tom, Three Parishes, Chester: C.C. Publishing, p. 10, ISBN 0-949001-30-9
  5. Historic England, "Monument to Woodhouse family, 15 metres northeast end of Church of St John, Norley (1139163)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 11 August 2012
  6. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017), "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)", MeasuringWorth, retrieved 2 February 2020
  7. Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, pp. 509–510, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
  8. "NPOR H00035", National Pipe Organ Register, British Institute of Organ Studies, retrieved 29 June 2020
  9. NORLEY (ST. JOHN) CHURCHYARD, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, retrieved 3 February 2013
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