Building record 248/4/1 - Church of St Bartholomew

<1> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Ormerod G 1882 3/341 (Book). SCH1389.

The chapel of Munschulf is mentioned by Earl Randle Gernons in his confirmation charter to Combermere Abbey c.1133 as being an appendage of the church of Acton. Rectory was appropriated by Combermere & was leased to Edward Mynshull of Mynshull in a valuation of its estates in 1545. It was later sold to John Minshull of Church Minshull and descended with the Minshull Hall estate. Gradually the chapel became parochial. Registers from 1561.

<2> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 1313128 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

The Church of St Bartholomew, Grade II* Listed.

List description: Parish Church 1702 (in blue bricks on tower), restored in 1861. Brown brick and stone dressing with slate and lead roof. 3-bay nave with choir, shallow apsidal chancel and square west tower, in classical style. The tower has a projecting ogee moulded stone plinth and stone quoins. West facing tower windows are semi-circular arched with keystones and moulded architraves, mullions and Venetian tracery at the lower levels. There is a projecting band at nave roof level and above the south facing clock dial is balanced by stained glass bull's eyes in the other faces of the tower. The louvred openings at bell stage have "Y" tracery and hood moulds. There is an ogee cornice, red brick solid parapet and square corner ball topped finials. The nave (south) entrance is a 6-panel, oak, bolection moulded door in a stone dressed porch, with pediment supported on Tuscan columns and pilasters. There is a 4-keystone bull's eye window in the wall above the porch. The nave, choir and chancel have a moulded stone plinth and quoins, also cross windows, with rounded heads, surmounted by small bull's eyes under semicircular arches with springers. There is a brick and stone cornice and a solid red brick parapet, interrupted by ball topped pilasters over each window. In the north wall of the nave there is a 6-panel bolection moulded door in a projecting moulded stone surround with key. There is a high-quality C17 marble armorial memorial fixed to the east chancel external wall. Interior: Two lines of plain circular columns divide the church throughout its length; these flank the apse and separate the nave from the side aisles. The apse has mosaic cladding to window cill level and the ten commandments and prayers in panels flanking the window. Choir stalls front the altar and face each other across an area of mosaic paving. A gothic carved oak eagle lectern and pine pulpit face oak box pews with fielded panels. Three alabaster wall memorials south wall of choir and two marble war memorials nave south wall. The choir/nave ceiling is flat with large perimeter mouldings and coves, and a panelled beam separating the apse. Pine west gallery, off two posts with curved brackets and three 4-panel-door glazed vestry screen below.

<3> Peter de Figueiredo (Independent Consultant), 2015, Church of St Bartholomew, Church Minshull, Cheshire: Assessment of Pews, R4576 (Client Report). SCH9175.

The present church of St Bartholomew is the third place of worship to stand on this site. The first, a chapel attached to Acton Church, was built in the 11th century and was of timber construction. In the mid 12th century it formed part of the estate of Combermere Abbey, although in 1216 it was gifted, together with 15 acres of land, to the 2nd Earl of Chester. The second, also timber-framed, was erected c.1540, and was described in 1572 as being rich in heraldic painting and stained glass depicting the arms and crests of local families. Church registers relating to the second building record that by the mid 16th century, the church had fallen into disrepair, and that the roof and west wall timbers were damaged in a storm of 1667. At the turn of the century the tower partially collapsed, and the decision was taken to totally rebuild the church, commencing with a new tower. This was completed in 1702 as recorded on the south wall in patterned brick. Being poorly resourced, the parish had to petition for funds nationwide, and the church was not finished until 1720 at a total cost of £2,643.11s.4d. Elements of the second building were retained in the eighteenth century church, including roof timbers exposed during repairs carried out in 2001, and possibly the stone columns of the nave arcades .

The existing church is built of red brick with sandstone dressings, in the Georgian style, with a west tower and a shallow chancel apse. The windows are set in round arches windows, with tracery most likely dating from the restoration of 1861, although this could have followed the original form, which may be represented by the bell openings of the tower incorporating Y-tracery. This tracery closely matches the windows of St Nicholas, Burton, Wirral, which is dated 1721, and is the work of the mason John Morfitt, who was responsible for the font at Church Minshull. The pedimented south porch dates from 1861, and the tall parapet was added in the 1890s by W M Boden.

The interior is simple and rustic in character. It has a central nave and aisles, separated by round piers with minimal moulded capitals. The ceilings in the aisles are flat, but the nave ceiling is coved above a pronounced cornice, which is probably of 1861. The apse at the east end has a tiled dado and panels with the Commandments, the creed and the Lord’s Prayer, set in a moulded plaster frame. This work, which also included the polychrome tiled floor, dates from 1980. At the same time, the west gallery was converted into a private pew. Some restoration work was made necessary by fires in 1874 and 1885, the latter involving work to the roof. Major restoration of the roof was carried out in 2002-04, the tower in 2006-08, and the interior in 2009-12.