Building record 1880/1/1 - Church of St Bartholomew

<1> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 55450 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

Church: some late Medieval work in north aisle, chancel dated 1671 for Dean Bridgeman, tower dated 1744 and remainder dated 1883 by John Douglas. Ashlar red sandstone, red tile roof. Four-bay nave and north aisle, south porch, three-bay chancel and a four-stage tower. Nave has two and four-light rectangular windows, with two levels of round-headed lights, under label mounds. Gabled porch has a four-centred arched entrance with cusped ogee headed light above. Romanesque style doorway behind. Chancel has a single and triple round-headed window and a blocked, moulded four-centred arched priest's doorway with a plaque above reading "THIS CHANCEL WAS BUILT BY D HENRY BRIDGEMAN LORD BISHOP OF MAN DEAN OF CHESTER AND RECTOR OF BARROW 1671". Pointed arched, four-light transomed east window. Classical style tower has bands at each stage and semi-circular heads to surrounds with raised quoining, of the west door, mullioned west window, and louvred bell openings. There is a clock in the third stage and a moulded cornice carries a ramped parapet, formerly with large gadrooned urn finials now collected at the base of the tower. Two good lead rainheads to the rear dated 1744 and on the south side a large circular light with raised keyblocks.

Interior: four-bay arcade of depressed four-centred arches on octagonal piers. Chancel has a hammer beam truss with the Bridgeman arms on the bosses. Boards record restoration of the chancel roof in 1807 by Hugh Cholmondely and rebuilding of 1883. East window and east window of the north aisle by Kempe. Octagonal font on octagonal shaft has lead bowl dated 1713.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ 46 NE 3 (Index). SCH2487.

Barrow (St. Bartholomew). In 1883…the nave and aisle were almost entirely rebuilt in the late perpendicular style. The tower erected in 1744 is in the pseudo-Italian style…The Jacobean chancel, built by Dean Bridgeman in 1671, is the only important section of the church, from an antiquary's point of view, now remaining…The existence of a church here is unnoticed in Domesday, but the church of Barrow was standing in the reign of Henry II, when it was given…to the Knight Hospitallers of St. John [but see later entries by D.J. Chapman]…In 1349 Barrow was styled a 'free chapel', in 1364 'the chapel of the manor' and in 1531 'the parish church, free chapel or chantry of Barrow'. [Notes on source 3 by D.J. Chapman 01/05/1959].

The church of Barrow-on-Trent (not Barrow in Cheshire, as mistakenly given both in the original and last editions of the Monasticon [Dugdale]) was bestowed on the Hospitallers. [Notes on source 4 by D.J. Chapman 14/05/1959].

The reference to the church of Barrow in Henry II's reign [see D.J. Chapman 01/05/1959 above] refers to Barrow in Derbyshire. See (5). [D.J. Chapman 26/05/1959].

Above a blocked-in doorway in the south wall of the chancel is the inscription: "This chancel was built by D. Henby Bridgman Lord Bishop of Mandeane of Chester and the rector of Barrow 1671" (see GP AO/59/85/4 - chancel from south-east). Within the chancel are two beams inscribed respectively: "The nave of this church was rebuilt and the chancel restored June, 1883", and "This chancel was roofed and repaired… 1807".

The rector, the Reverend Eric Thomas had no information concerning whether this was the "church of Barrow" mentioned in the reign of Henry II. The church is still in use for ordinary religious purposes. [D.A. Davies F.I. 15/07/1959].

In normal use. [J. Rig, R.I. 17/07/1964].

<3> Richards R, 1947, Old Cheshire Churches, p.40-43 (Book). SCH2309.

The parish church of Barrow stands on a sandstone hill, a site midway between the sequestered church of Plemstall on the level of the marshes, and the more prominent church of Tarvin. The existence of a church here is unnoticed in Domesday, but the" church of Barrow" was standing in the reign of Henry II, when it was given by Robert de Bachepuz to the Knight Hospitallers of St. John, of Jerusalem, who had a preceptory at the spot.

In 1349 Barrow was styled a free chapel," in 1364" the chapel of the manor," and in 1531 "the parish church, free chapel or chantry of Barrow." Tradition has it that Barrow was severed from Tarvin in Queen Elizabeth's reign, when it was formally constituted an independent church with a parish and parsonage.

The church was described in 1744 as "a very ancient structure, and by length of time and the great weight of roofs and walls which support the greatest part of the fabric are bulged out and give way; the roof also is very much decayed and the steeple is in ruinous condition, and the whole church in danger of falling, insomuch that the said church cannot any longer be repaired, but must be wholly taken down and rebuilt.". The author believes that this description was probably an exaggeration intended to garner financial support for repairs.

The church, dedicated to St. Bartholomew, consists of a body, north aisle, and chancel added in 1671. An inscription over the former south-side doorway of the Jacobean chancel, built up in the 1883 restoration, records: "This chancel was built by Dr. Henry Bridgman, lord Bishop of Man, Dean of Chester and Rector of Barrow, 1671". The windows are square-headed with obtuse lights, with the exception of the east window, which is pointed, with a four-centred head. The roof is a hammer beam of two bays now much restored. The ends of the hammers have shields bearing the arms of Dean Bridgman. Details of the restorations are recorded in the following inscription in the chancel. On the north side: " This Chancel was roofed and repaired by Hugh Cholmondeley, B.D., Rector of Harthill and Barrow, and Dean of Chester, 1807".
On the south side-" The nave of this church was rebuilt and the chancel restored June 1883." Of the original Jacobean structure, possibly only the main timbers are original.

The tower, erected in 1744, is in the pseudo-Italian style, and was formerly decorated with urns (removed in 1929 and stacked at the base of the tower). There are two leaden down spouts with inscribed heads bearing the date 1744. The nave and aisle were almost entirely rebuilt in 1883 in the late Perpendicular style.

The octagonal red sandstone font is inscribed on the inside of the bowl "J.J. : W.N. : 1713". Preserved in the tower is an early Georgian chest inscribed- " I.P. : LB.: C.W.: 1718".

<4> Page, W (ed), 1907, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Derby: Volume II, p.76 (Book). SCH9449.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, Derby 54 SE 2 (Index). SCH2487.

<6> Dugdale, W, 1846, Monasticon Anglicanum (Book). SCH9450.

<7> University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, 1998, St Bartholomew's Parish Church, Great Barrow, Cheshire: An Archaeological Building Survey of the North-West Corner of the Nave, R2248 (Client Report). SCH3999.

The survey has confirmed the four main phases suggested by the Listed Building Description (see 1), but has added some extra detail. It seems likely that the pre-1671 fabric observed in the North Aisle extends to the north-west corner of the Nave, and perhaps even to the northern base of the tower. The date of this stonework is, however, difficult to establish and whilst a Medieval date might be suspected on stylistic grounds this is by no means certain. The chancel and the four arches separating the Nave from the North Aisle appear to date from 1671. The tower itself is largely a rebuild from 1744, not a new build as suggested by the Listed Building Description, and some of the earlier fabric may survive within the lower stone courses of the northern wall of the structure. The final phase is represented by extensive building work undertaken in 1883. Within the context of the archaeology of Cheshire, the church forms one of a group of churches designed and renovated by the nationally Chester based architect John Douglas in the late nineteenth century. It is also one of a number of medieval chapels in the county which later became parish churches. The possibility of a pre-Conquest religious site beneath or near to the church places St Bartholomew's amongst only fifteen such sites known in the county (see 8).

<8> Higham N J, 1993, The Origins of Cheshire (Book). SCH3768.

<9> University of Manchester, 2002, Saint Bartholomew's Church, Great Barrow, Chester: Building Survey and Watching Brief, R4154 (Client Report). SCH8452.

Confirmed the previously identified four main phases of construction for the church. The chancel is firmly dated to 1671 and it seems likely that the walls of the north aisle also belong to that period. However, the base of the aisle walls contains earlier, potentially medieval, fabric, which may continue in the north-west corner of the nave. The tower was found to be a re-build of 1744 and not a new build as previously thought.

Three sherds of glazed ridge tile provide evidence for a substantial building on or near the site in the during the fourteenth or fifteenth century. These sherds appear to represent a single phase of roofing, and they would probably have been used in conjunction with slates or stone slabs.

During the watching brief human burials dating to the latter part of the nineteenth century were discovered. Fourteen individuals were exhumed including eight adults (four male, four female) and six children ranging from newborn to seventeen years old. The material culture associated with the graves suggests that these people were not from the poorest families as the coffins were decorated, but their fairly basic construction would imply that they were not from the richest either. The skeletal remains also gave a good insight into the social status of the group. The high ante-mortem tooth loss and decay are indicative of a high sugar diet and lack of dental hygiene, but the absence of dental restoration which exemplifies the point that the group were not from the wealthier households. The adults, in particular the older males, showed signs of joint disease, healed breaks, and other skeletal damage consitenet with manual labour.