Building record 1038/1 - Church of St Luke

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ77 SE 3 (Index). SCH2487.

St Luke's Church built in 1792 on the site of a thirteenth century chapel.

<2> Richards R, 1947, Old Cheshire Churches, p.165-167 (Book). SCH2309.

The chapel was in existence as far back as 1244, subordinate to the mother church of Sandbach. The advowson was then held by the Abbey of Dieulacres. In 1350 the inhabitants of the hamlet of Goostrey obtained the permission to bury dead in their chapel yard owing to their distance from Sandbach.

In 1617 the timber framed chapel comprised of a nave and chancel, and an aisle on the south side of the chancel which belonged to the Booths of Twemlow. In 1667 permission was granted to Jodrell of Twemlow to erect an out-aisle on the south of the chapel between the porch and the aisle of John Booth, and to enlarge his seat in the chancel, etc. In 1711, a later Jodrell had permission to erect another out-aisle on the south side, or perhaps to enlarge the one erected in 1667.

In 1792 the old chapel then existing was pulled down, and the present edifice erected. It is a plain oblong building of brick, with three round-headed windows on either side of the nave, a brick tower at the west end, and a small chancel at the east end. At the western end of the church is the fifthteenth century font from the old chapel.

<3> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 406183 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

Parish Church, 1796. Red brick with stone dressing and slate roof. three bay nave and small apsidal sanctuary. Square west tower divided into three vertical sections by narrow stone bands. The lowest section has two small semi-circular headed windows, one above the other, on the west face. The lower window is stone dressed with lead lattice glazing, the upper is a brick opening with stone sill and square leaded glazing. Above the first band there is a weathered stone tablet, under a moulded cornice, which is surmounted by a clock set in a projecting circular stone frame. Other tower faces, at this level, have glazed circular openings with wooden crossed mullions. At bell stage there are stone dressed semi-circular headed openings with springers, keys, and louvre infilling. There is a parapet band and a low brick parapet with stone cornice and pyramid corner pinnacles. The nave walls have a weathered stone plinth and large semi-circular headed stone dressed windows with stained glass or leaded glazing. The south nave door opening is rusticated and its semi-circular head is filled with oak bead and flush radial panelling. There are a pair of six panel bead and flush doors below. The east end is a canted chancel-apse with stone dressed semi-circular headed stained glass window and flat roof. A twentieth century vestry with hipped slate roof has been added at the north-west end of the church.

Interior: Semi-circular plastered apse, with hemispherical ceiling springing from a deep wooden cornice, which is supported by reeded Corinthian capped pilasters which flank the east window and the opening. The apse is flanked by a three panel high dado which is surmounted by a semi-circular headed blind arcade with the four panels separated by slender Corinthian capped shafts. The wall dressing is completed by a carved panel frieze and console supported cornice. The sanctuary has a white marble and mosaic floor and there is an astragal moulded communion rail on six turned shafts. Panelling in choir extends up to window arch springing line. Stone based, polygonal oak pulpit with semi-circular headed sunk panels and reeded Corinthian columns at angles. Highly carved lectern with cross roof base and coupled shaft supports. Five eighteenth or nineteenth century marble/stone wall memorials in choir and nave. Panelled organ gallery across west end of church supported on two slender moulded cast iron columns. Flat ceiling with simple moulded cornice.

<4> Various, Written Communication to the HER, Tindall A, 1998 (Written Communication). SCH3756.

Twenty-five lead coffins removed from the crypt and re-interred in a new burial ground in 1998. A collection of coffin plates which had been stored in the crypt were attached to the crypt wall.

<5> Pevsner N & Hubbard E, 1971, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, p.372-3 (Book). SCH3078.

A chapel of ease was located here in 1244 and the present church building replaced a timber-framed church in 1792-6. A plain brick building with stained glass by Marechal and Champigneulle of Metz dating from c.1870.

<6> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol.III, p.133-4 (Book). SCH1389.

‘…The Chapel of Goosetrey is a plain but neat and commodious building of brick, with a tower steeple erected in 1792. The church-yard is on the bank of a small brook, forming a parallelogram, which (as already stated) appears to have been the site of the ancient manor house of Goosetrey…The font is octagonal, ornamented with quatrefoils in pannels round the upper parts, and with shields round the base, the bearings of which are defaced…’

Includes a full account of the memorials in the church.