Building record 1781/1/1 - Church of St Edith

<1> Richards R, 1947, Old Cheshire Churches, p.294-296 (Book). SCH2309.

The church of St. Edith at Shocklach occupies a very isolated situation midway between two mounds which mark the sites of a border stronghold and the village. The consists of three townships- Caldecott, Church Shocklach and Shocklach Oviatt. The building is dedicated to St. Edith of Polesworth, who is thought to have been a sister of Edward the Elder. Originally the church was in the possession of the College of St. John's, Chester. Following the Dissolution, the rectory of Shocklach and the chapel of St. Edith, together with certain lands, were granted to Sir Henry Fanshaw of London, who in turn disposed of them to Sir Thomas Shirley, of Sussex. Subsequently, the Egertons of Ridley became patrons of the curacy which, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, changed hands with the manorial estates. Later the patronage became vested in the Pulestons of Emrall.

The very remoteness of the church and the fact that would-be restorers have in consequence been unable to find it, has resulted in the early twelfth century small church surviving largely intact. Built with no exterior refinements, with the exception of the noble Norman south doorway, the masonry consists of irregular sandstone blocks with thick mortar courses. The nave is entirely twelfth century, with the exception of some refacing of the west wall in the early fifteenth century. The chancel belongs to the fourteenth century, and is almost as large as the nave. It is seen that the west wall is supported by two large buttresses, and these were roofed over in the seventeenth century to form a small vestry or baptistry. The fine south doorway c.1150 is one of the best Norman examples in the county, and appears to be entirely free from any form of restoration. Conforming to the usual pattern, the round-headed doorway is of three courses. The outer design is of chevron terminating in carved hea ; the middle course cable-shaped and the inner order also chevron. This fine hood is carried by small sunk shafts with square capitals. The wooden doors are ancient and studded with iron.

In the middle ages, the Shocklach estates were owned by the Brereton family-eventually passing to the Egertons through marriage. The arms of both families are found carved on shields by the little baptistry. The small double bellcot has chains for the bells hanging partially outside, and which have worn grooves in the sandstone wall. Allegedly a local prankster tied bundles of hay to the bell chains and let cattle into the churchyard one night. The cows browsing the hay caused the bells to ring at midnight. When the chancel was added in the fourteenth century, the making of the chancel arch necessitated the exterior walls being supported by buttresses. The apex of the arch, springing from octagonal pillars, still looks bowed, this settling of the old masonry being more pronounced because the chancel roof is seen to be lower than the peak of the arcade. The chancel roof is in two bays of the arch-braced type, with wind-braces from the centre principal; there is a single purlin on either side supporting nine rafters. The nave has a coved plaster ceiling of eighteenth century date, and of pleasing effect. Most of the church furnishings and fittings are old. The pews of 1697 are quaint and in keeping with the plain simplicity of the fabric, contrasting to the disadvantage of the modem seats. The altar rails are late eighteenth century and consist of balusters held in position by iron brackets. The two sanctuary chairs are possibly Elizabetban. Dating from the fifteenth century, the font is unusual in having seven sides. It bears signs of being recut, possibly early last century. As an indication of the isolation of Shocklach, there is the following extraordinary testimony scratched with a diamond ring on the east window:- " I Robt. Aldersey was here the 31st day of Oct. 1756 along with John Massie and Mr. Derbyshire. N.B. The roads were so bad we were in danger of our lives." In the quiet little graveyard are the remains of an ancient cross with a shaft rising from the base-stones.

<2> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 402909 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

The church, south wall of the nave and the south doorway date from the mid twelfth century. The north wall of the nave is probably thirteenth century in date; the chancel fifteenth century; the west wall of nave was restored and altered in the seventeenth century to provide baptistry between two deep buttresses. The church is built of red sandstone in square-ish blocks with grey slate roof.

The nave, chancel, north vestry (rebuilt 1926), baptistry and west bellcote: The nave has south doorway with nailed, boarded shaped oak door in opening with round arch of 3 orders (chevron-cable-chevron decoration) on square piers with weathered responds and with two badly weathered corbel heads, a blocked north doorway (converted to a window), one window of two ogee-headed lights to south and north side, small west baptistry with a lean to roof of slate has a small inserted one-light window, with inserted west window above its roof; simple two-bell open bellcote of stone. Chancel has three-light east window with simple reticulated tracery. Cross finial on east gable of nave.

Interior: Internally the nave and chancel walls (and jambs of east window) are battered, said to symbolise the Ark. Eighteenth century curved plaster ceiling to nave, plain but for recessed plaster bosses. Medieval round chancel arch; perhaps pre-dating the present chancel roof which intersects it. Arch-braced truss to chancel. fifteenth century seven-sided font (carving on bowl restored). Plain pulpit of oak, 1687 in brass nails on front. Eighteenth century turned altar rails of oak. Royal arms (1760) and Puleston hatchment on west wall of nave. Dated inscription on vestry doorway (1926). On a pane of the east window is scratched: "I, Robert Aldersey, was here on 1st day of October 1756 along with John Massie and Mr Derbyshire. The roads were so bad that we were in danger of our lives". Mounted knight (seventeenth century?) carved on stone in north wall of nave (west). The simple Norman work in this church is unique in Cheshire.

<3> Pevsner N & Hubbard E, 1971, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, p.334 (Book). SCH3078.

A small Norman Building. Cf. the very crudely decorated S doorway with zigzag, rope and lozenges broken by ninety degrees. Nave and Chancel and double bellcote. C14th chancel arch and E window. Also C14 the N doorway. Bapistery C17. C18 nave ceiling with rosettes. Font, poss recut in C17? Pulpit 1697; plain. Communion rail C18

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ45 SW6 1964 (Index). SCH2487.

St Ediths Church. Early 12th century and largely intact with fine Norman south doorway, the chancel being added in the late 15th century.