Building record 108/1/0 - Church of All Saints, Runcorn

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ58 SW 2 (Index). SCH2487.

The vicar of the church, when interviewed, stated that the present church was erected upon the site of at least four earlier churches, the original being pre-conquest. The present edifice is modern and exhibits no evidence of early work. Grave slabs in the churchyard bear eighteenth century dates. [F.D. Colquhoun, Field Inspector, 01/07/1959].

<2> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 56027 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

Parish Church 1849 by Salvin. Rock faced red sandstone with slate roof five bay lancet style nave with aisles, and chancel reduced in both width and height, square tower with stone octagonal spire south-west corner of nave. The tower has corner buttresses, large louvered lancets at bell-stage and lucarnes to all spire faces. Entrances in nave gable and adjoining tower are Lancet style flanked by shafts and contain oak boarded doors with strap hinges. Windows are lancet, paired in nave, and quatrefoil to clerestory, there is much stained glass. Both chancel and nave have cross finials and pinnacles to gables. Interior: Square angled columns with pulvinated faces and foliated capitals support the 5 bay gothic aisle arcades. The organ chamber and War Memorial Chapel flank the chancel north and south. The altar and rail are of marble and the chancel also contains a number of high quality marble and alabaster wall monuments to the Brooke family of Norton Priory. Both chancel and nave have arch braced collar and king post trusses supported on carved head corbels.

<3> Hartwell C, Hyde M, Hubbard E & Pevsner N, 2011, The Buildings of England: Cheshire (2011 revision), p.559-560 (Book). SCH7059.

Built beside the river on the site of its predecessors by Anthony Salvin in 1844-8. It has a high graceful steeple. The chancel and nave are framed by buttresses which continue up as small spires. The building is more generous than many of Salvin’s later churches due to better funding. Inside there are five bays of arcades with clustered piers. Some of the memorials from the preceding church building have been transplanted to this building. Others are of a nineteenth century date. A late seventeenth century monument to Finmore and Anne Breck may be a reproduction.

<4> Hanshall, J. H., 1817-1823, The History of the County Palatine of Chester, p.403-4 (Book). SCH1382.

<5> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol.I p.676 (Book). SCH1389.

The church of Runcorn is a pre-conquest foundation. Ormerod describes the precursor to the current church building as being built on a rock overhanging the bank of the Mersey, and is embosomed amongst venerable trees. It consists of nave, chancel, and two side aisles. The north aisle is separated from the nave by four highly pointed arches, resting on clustered columns with ornamental capitals: the south aisle has been rebuilt for the erection of a gallery, and the range of pillars removed. The chancel is divided from the nave by a handsome carved screen, over which is a roodloft. Some fragments of painted glass exist in several of the windows. The revised 1882 edition adds: The church was rebuilt, and opened in 1849. During the work two tombstones were discovered, with the following inscriptions, in old English characters, let into them with lead:
"Hie jacet Ricard us Aston miles qui obiit anno domini m cccc nonaginta iii Jhu Mercye." (Shield of Aston.) and "Hic jacet domina Matilda Aston. Lade Helpe." (A Maltese cross). (see 9).

<6> Thacker, AT, 1987, Anglo-Saxon Cheshire, p253 & 269 (Article in Monograph). SCH8891.

Runcorn still had two priests in 1086 and is probably the site of an Anglo Saxon minster. Like many such sites, it became the site of an Augustinian priory in the early 12th century dedicated to St Bertelin and the Virgin. Although the priory soon moved, the dedication to Saint Bertelin remained. Saint Bertelin is an obscure saint, who was reputedly a Mercian prince, and who was enshrined in a large and important minster at Stafford. Since Aethelflaed is known to have refortified Stafford in 913, just before the construction of the burgh at Runcorn, it is possible that the dedication of the Runcorn minster was her responsibility.

<7> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, no.291 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.

<8> Crossley, F.H, 1943, Church Building in Cheshire in the Thirteenth Century, p.31 (Article in Journal). SCH8889.

All Saint's Church Runcorn is referred to as being a church which retained thirteenth century important architectural features which have been destroyed.

<9> Beamont, H, 1864, Halton Castle, Cheshire, p.15 (Article in Journal). SCH8890.

In rebuilding the parish church of Runcorn, in the year 1847, two tombstones were discovered, with the following inscriptions let into them in lead: Hie jacet Ricard us Aston miles qui obiit anno domini mocccc nonaginta iiio Jhu Mercye." (shield of Aston.) and Hic jacet domina Matilda Aston. Lade Helpe. (a Maltese cross) Sir Richard was a descendant of a former governor of Halton of his own name, and the date of his death differs by one year from the account given of it by Sir P Leycester.

<10> Cheshire County Council, 2002, Cheshire Historic Towns Survey: Halton District Part 1: Archaeological Assessments, Runcorn & Halton p.7 (Report). SCH6976.

It is possible that one of the two priests recorded at Halton in the Domesday Survey may have served Runcorn (see 11). Possibly this church shared the same site as the later All Saints Church on the banks of the Mersey, which is known to have existed from at least the 12th century following the discovery of Norman capitals in the masonry of the tower when the church was demolished in 1846 (see 11) and rebuilt on the same site by Salvin in 1847. It is also thought to be the site of the Augustinian Priory that was built c.1115 by William Fitz Nigel, Constable of Cheshire. The priory was moved to Norton approximately 1km to the north-east of Halton in 1133 (see 12).

<11> Starkey H F, 1990, Old Runcorn, p.7, 10-11 (Book). SCH5469.

<12> Husain, BMC, 1973, Cheshire Under the Norman Earls, p.132 (Book). SCH3881.