St Thomas' Church, Stockton Heath

St Thomas' Church is in Stockton Heath, to the south of Warrington, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building,[1] and is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Great Budworth.[2]

St Thomas' Church, Stockton Heath
St Thomas' Church, Stockton Heath, from the southeast
St Thomas' Church, Stockton Heath
Location in Cheshire
OS grid referenceSJ 614 864
LocationStockton Heath, Warrington, Cheshire
CountryEngland
DenominationAnglican
WebsiteSt Thomas' and St Mary Magdalene's
History
StatusParish church
DedicationSt Thomas
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II
Designated23 December 1983
Architect(s)E. G. Paley
Architectural typeChurch
StyleGothic Revival
Completed1868
Specifications
MaterialsSandstone,
Westmorland slate roofs
Administration
ParishSt Thomas, Stockton Heath
DeaneryGreat Budworth
ArchdeaconryChester
DioceseChester
ProvinceYork
Clergy
Vicar(s)Rev Michael Ridley
Assistant priest(s)Rev Monica Thomson
Laity
Churchwarden(s)Sheila Barton & Mel Wilson

History

The present church was built in 1868 on the site of a former church that had been erected in 1838.[1] It was designed by the Lancaster architect E. G. Paley, the main benefactor being Sir Gilbert Greenall. The tower was added later[3] although a full set of bells were not installed until 2016. The current ring of 10 bells consists of 8 bells donated from St. John the Baptist, Bollington[4] supplemented with two new trebles cast by John Taylor & Co.[5] A campaign to keep a tolling bell dating from 1883 dedicated to the wife of John Crosfield (son of Joseph Crosfield) took place in an attempt to retain the bell locally.[6]

Architecture

It is constructed in pinkish-red sandstone with Westmorland slate roofs. Its plan consists of a four-bay nave with a south aisle under a parallel ridged roof, a south porch, a north transept, a north vestry, a two-bay chancel and a west tower. The tower is in four stages with an octagonal southeast turret and an embattled parapet.[1]

The chancel is decorated with richly coloured patterned tilework and the reredos is of marble and embossed patterned tiles.[1] The organ was built around 1880 by Young and Sons and rebuilt in 1963 by Rushworth and Dreaper of Liverpool.[7]

External features

The churchyard contains the war graves of 31 service personnel, 17 from World War I and 14 from World War II.[8]

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See also

References
  1. Historic England, "Church of St Thomas, Stockton Heath (1135939)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 10 June 2012
  2. St Thomas, Stockton Heath, Church of England, retrieved 27 January 2011
  3. Brandwood, Geoff; Austin, Tim; Hughes, John; Price, James (2012), The Architecture of Sharpe, Paley and Austin, Swindon: English Heritage, p. 222, ISBN 978-1-84802-049-8
  4. "A new home for the bells from St John's", St Oswald's Blog, 2016-04-10, retrieved 2018-11-23
  5. Alison Collins (2015-12-19), Stockton Heath Bells Cast at John Taylors Foundry, retrieved 2018-11-23
  6. Voice, Civic, "Civic Voice | News | Press Release: Griff Rhys Jones supports campaign to safeguard Warrington Bell", www.civicvoice.org.uk, retrieved 2018-11-23
  7. "NPOR N04315", National Pipe Organ Register, British Institute of Organ Studies, retrieved 3 July 2020
  8. STOCKTON HEATH (ST. THOMAS) CHURCHYARD, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, retrieved 3 February 2013
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