Building record 10884 - Church of St Mary on the Hill

St Mary's Church was probably built in the early twelfth century by one of the Norman Earls of Chester. Advowson was granted to Abbey of St Werburgh by Earl Ranulph Gernons (1128 - 1153). The church was situated to the north of the castle and was separated from it by the castle ditch. The small city portion of the parish was the head of a much larger fief that spread south of the river.

The Norman Earls delineated specific castle demesne equivalent to the boundaries of St Mary's parish. The parish intruded upon St Bridget's and possibly on the south part of St Olave's parish, in order to secure the bridge, the castle's eastern flank and the site of the Dee corn mills (1). St Mary's parish was well endowed and included a considerable area outside the city (Claverton, Handbridge, Lache, Merleston, Moston, Upton and Little Mollington). The church's proximity to the castle meant it was associated with the administration of the county. Several fourteenth century rectors were prominent figures in the administration. St Mary's was the wealthiest and most fashionable of parish churches and many prominent local people buried here (2). The church possessed several chantries and altars, including chantry chapel end of north aisle rising 'when steeple of St Mary's demolished for better defences of castle’. The steeple was restored 1861/2 by James Harrison, when 10m was added to height of tower. After the opening of St Mary's-without-the-Walls in 1887, which took over old parish of St Mary's-on-the-Hill, latter became parish church for St Bridget and St Martin's. Restorations that occurred in 1890/1 under JP Seddon, when all the galleries were removed, tower arch opened out, new windows in the north aisle, the south clerestory was rebuilt and the nave floor was lowered. In 1892 the north porch was re-erected and dedicated to Randle Holme III.

The present church consists of nave, side aisles and chapels, the chancel and the west tower. The nave is separated from the aisles by three pointed arches and from chancel by high pointed chancel arch. The lofty clerestory contains 10 windows on each side. Remaining effigies include one in St Katherine's Chapel, at the east end of the north aisle, to Thomas and Alice Gamul, died 1613 and 1640 respectively, and to Philip Oldfield, died 1616. A medieval wall painting of the crucifixion survives on the east wall of the south aisle (3, 5).

Owing to its proximity to the castle, the churchyard was used for the burial of those people who were condemned to death at the Assizes held in the Castle and those who died whilst imprisoned there. Registers list names of prisoners executed, those who were pressed to death and include a curious reference to three witches who were hanged and buried in the churchyard in 1656 ('Three witches hanged,...buried in the corner by the castle ditch in church yrd. 8th of October'. In 1745, the churchyard walls were taken down to protect the castle from rebels in the 'Young Pretender's' insurrection (1, 2). During archaeological excavations that investigated slumping in the floor of the nave, disarticulated human bone, and numerous (not investigated) grave cuts were recorded (2).

The peripheral wall of St Mary's churchyard dates to the medieval period, but was repaired and altered slightly in the nineteenth century (1 - 14).

The lowermost part of the stone cross seen in St Mary's churchyard dates to the medieval period, while the upper part is a nineteenth century addition

Two rows of posts, thought to represent an early construction phase of the church, were found below the south aisle in St Mary's on the Hill during an evaluation there in 1997 (1). A total of eight wooden posts, in two parallel rows, and parallel to the south wall of the aisle were set into the ground and tenon joints survived. These posts may have carried large timber beams for some indeterminate structure. The available reporting does not include a location plan of these finds, and the GIS point is approximate (1).

Evidence of a wall, thought to represent an earlier construction phase of the church, were found below the south aisle in St Mary's on the Hill during an evaluation there in 1997 (1). A linear composition of sandstone blocks and mortar was revealed to a height of two courses. Each block varied in size from 230mm in length to 570mm, and were rectilinear and sub angular in shape. The wall is oriented east to west and appears to be broken in certain areas which are filled in with soil similar to the burial fills found throughout. The available reporting does not include a location plan of these finds, and the GIS point is approximate.

<1> Alldridge N.J, 1981, Aspects of the topography of early medieval Chester, Alldridge N J 1981 64/5-31 (Article in Journal). SCH5931.

<2> Jones, D., 1957, The Church in Chester 1300-1540, /20,104,112-4 (Book). SCH3106.

<3> Earwaker J P, 1898, The History of the Church & Parish of St Mary-on-the-Hill (Book). SCH3157.

<4> Richards R, 1947, Old Cheshire Churches, Richards R 1972 /110-117 (Book). SCH2309.

<5> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Ormerod G 1882 1/333-340 (Book). SCH1389.

<6> Morris, Rupert H (Rev.), 1894, Chester in the Plantagenet & Tudor Reigns, /168 (Book). SCH946.

<7> Pevsner N & Hubbard E, 1971, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, /151-152 (Book). SCH3078.

<8> Harris, B.E., 1979, Bartholomew City Guides - Chester, /132-133 (Book). SCH394.

<9> Gastrell F, 1845-1850, Notitia Cestriensis, or historical notices of the diocese of Chester, /Gastrell F 1845105-108 (Article in Journal). SCH2290.

<10> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, /2/196 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

<12> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ46NW53/1964 (Index). SCH2487.

<13> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1845-Present, Archaeological Journal, 94/305 1937 1937 (Journal/Periodical). SCH338.

<14> Hemingway, J., 1831, History of Chester, from its foundation to the present time. Volume 1, 2/102-112 (Book). SCH1436.

<15> Barber, E, 1902, The Nave Roof of the Church of St Mary on the Hill (Article in Journal). SCH5942.