Building record 1689/1/1 - Church of St Oswald, Malpas

<1> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 55570 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

Church listed at Grade I. The church dates from the late fourteenth century, but was largely rebuilt above sill level in the late fifteenth century. Built of red sandstone with lead roofs. Elements include a tower at the western end of the nave, an aisled nave with south porch, a chancel with cross-axial crypt or treasury, vestry and organ-chamber. The tower, nave and aisles have gargoyles. The crenelated parapets to nave, aisles and porch have crocketed pinnacles. Aisle buttresses have gables with crockets and finials. The massive three-stage tower has diagonal west buttresses and angle east buttresses, south-east octagonal turret, bands above bell chamber and at the base of a crenelated parapet with crocketed corner pinnacles, a round-arched west door, a fourteenth century reticulated five-light west window and simple two-light reticulated bell-openings; an empty niche to each side of west window. The aisles have fourteenth century east windows and fifteenth century four-light panel-traceried, segmental-arched west, north and south windows; the Tudor-arched clerestory windows have four lights. There is a small doorway under the west window of north aisle. In the eastern bay of south aisle is the Brereton Chapel. Opposite, in the north aisle, is the Cholmondeley Chapel. The two-storey south porch has priest's chamber with a loophole to the east and west and a window of two trefoil-headed lights to south, and wall sundial dated 1819. The chancel has five-light panel-traceried basket-arched east window and four-light north and south windows. The vestry was added in 1717; the nineteenth century organ chamber is located between north aisle and vestry.

Interior: A springer north of the chancel arch, gable marks on western and eastern walls and possibly the chancel arch, show that fourteenth century church was much lower, with separate ridges over nave and aisles. There is a rib-vaulted baptistery in the west tower. The nave is of six bays with wide aisles and has slender lozenge-shaped piers with half and three-quarter shafts. Fine late fifteenth century camber-beam panelled roofs with ornate bosses and angels (restored) on corbels, to nave and (with simpler detail and quatrefoil panels) to aisles. Chancel of three bays has canted south side and camber-beam roof with carved bosses. Cross-axial crypt of two bays has quadripartite rib-vault. The vestry (1717) has round-headed windows and an oval plaster ceiling-panel. There are four cusped recesses in north aisle wall; three sedilia in the south aisle, with two-arched piscina east; and four sedilia in south wall of chancel. There are brasses to Philip de Egerton and his family dating from circa AD1400 and to Urian Davenport (rector of Malpas, 1495) inset in stones in the north aisle and to the south of the pulpit, moved in 1950 from Cholmondeley Chapel. The Brereton Chapel, shortened to one and one third of a bay of south aisle in 1717, has a traceried oak screen, seventeen panels of which were replaced (fascimile) in cast iron in 1717(?). Inscription on head-beams of screen. The Brereton monument, outstanding, is to Sir Randal, baronet, and his wife Eleanor, erected circa 1522 with admirable naturalistic effigies on a chest tomb. The Cholmondeley Chapel, shortened to one and one third of a bay of the north aisle in 1717, has four panels of traceried oak screen replaced (fascimile) in cast iron 1717(?), Latin inscription on head-beams and monument (1605) to Sir Hugh Cholmondeley and his second wife Mary, similar in form to Brereton monument, but stiffer. Glass includes medieval fragments in south aisle next to porch; roundels of sixteenth/seventeenth century Flemish painted glass depicting Biblical scenes (formerly at Cholmondeley Castle and given by the Marquess of Cholmondeley 1847 and 1956) in west window of the north aisle and the north window of Cholmondeley Chapel; the east windows of the Chapels, 1845, by Warrington; two windows in south aisle by Kempe; east window a memorial to Bishop Heber, born in Malpas Rectory (q.v.). Beam of former rood-loft in chancel arch; fifteenth century octagonal font with 1627 oak cover; thirteenth century wrought-iron-bound oak chest; nine fifteenth century stalls with misericords, six much restored; six box pews (from Brereton Chapel) at west end of south aisle, with the armorial bearings of their owners removed to screens at west end of nave and within north porch. Picture of St.Peter's denial, mid eighteenth century, by Hayman, above chancel arch; three pairs of hatchments (Dod family of Edge Hall; Tarletons of Bolesworth Castle; Cholmondeleys of Cholmondeley Castle. Much of the church's furnishing was lost in Kenyon's restoration of 1880-90.

The church is one of the best examples in Cheshire of late fifteenth century/early sixteenth century work, prolific in the county; the nave roof and the memorial chapels are very fine and the effigies of Sir Randal and Lady Eleanor Brereton are outstanding. The vestry 1717, by Gardner.

<2> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, p.266 (Book). SCH3556.

Malpas (Depenbech) was in 1086 a parish of twenty five townships (totalling 29.5 hides), but no church or priest is mentioned. A church was certainly in Malpas in the thirteenth century and from 1285 records are available which record the names of the co-rectors. The rector of the upper mediety also served the chapelry of Tushingham and the rector of the lower mediety served the chapelry of Whitwell. Such arrangements could represent the remains of an ancient Minster as at Prees in nearby Shropshire.

<3> Richards R, 1947, Old Cheshire Churches, p.220-5 (Book). SCH2309.

The church was built in the fourteenth century, but largely remodelled in the second half of the fifteenth century. It consists of a fine, but comparatively plain, fourteenth century tower, a lofty nave with aisles built in the Perpendicular style on the old foundations, a large chancel and a south porch. The aisles each terminate in chapels dedicated to the Cholmondeley and Brereton families. The windows in the aisles are unusually large and require strong support in the form of butresses. The tower may have been originally intended to carry a spire; the squinches to support such an erection were built in each corner of the belfry. A feature of the tower is the stone vaulting placed immediately above the interior arch. It has a large well in the centre similar in design to the one in St. Peter's, Chester, to allow for the raising and lowering of the bells. The bells date from 1801 and the early twentieth century.

The south porch (with a priest's chamber above) has many gargoyles depicting weird animals and humorous figures. Over the doorway, enclosed by another pair of wrought iron gates, is a wall sundial surmounted by a small square-headed window. Two niches with carved canopies are placed at either side; the statues, however, are missing. Later work is to be seen in the vestry, which is thought to have been erected from the designs of Sir John Vanbrugh.

The aisles are divided from the nave by arcades of six arches springing from clustered columns of eight shafts, built in lozenge form. The clerestory windows are seen to be large and of four lights, each with Tudor shaped heads. Between the windows are demi-angels, with wide spreading wings, each holding a shield. They are grouped on the camber-beams to the roof in front of the wall posts.

The timbered roofs to the nave and aisles and, with the exception of five beams replaced c.1717, dates from c.1500. The style conforms to the usual West Cheshire type and includes mouldings, elaborate bosses of foliage, with the aisle roofs similar, but simpler. The aisle roofs reputedly still showed traces of paint and gilt in 1860. The chancel roof is a poor quality nineteenth century copy of the nave celling and the chancel itself, unsymmetrical. Under the sanctuary is a small crypt which served as a treasury. Malpas retains its ascending sedilia of three seats, each carved with a trefoiled head. They are the most ornate feature of the chancel, and are extraordinarily well preserved. There are two piscinas.

The Brereton and the Cholmondeley Chapels are separated from the nave and aisles by screens. The Brereton Chapel, sometimes called the Egerton or St. Georges Chapel, is on the south side of the nave. The Cholmondeley Chapel contains the effigies of Sir Hugh Cholmondeley and his lady, c.1600. The Brereton Chapel contains an alabaster altar tomb to Sir Randle Brereton and his wife, Eleanor (1522) which includes effigies of both. Also a Jacobean altar table and a late thirteenth century church chest

The church contains further monuments to the Cholmondeley family dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and other monuments dating from 1495 onwards. Three stalls survive in the nave from the fifteenth century, though much altered.

<4> Cordon, M, 1979, Archaeological Implications: Malpas, p.5 (Unpublished Report). SCH337.

It has been suggested that the church is located on the site of the chapel to the castle.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ44 NE6 (Index). SCH2487.

<6> Pevsner N & Hubbard E, 1971, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, p.468-470 (Book). SCH3078.

A fourteenth century church in the Decorated (English Gothic) style rebuilt with donations made 1488 and 1508 in the Perpendicular style. The sides of the church, which predate the rebuilding, have deep buttresses to compensate for the loss of walling required to accommodate the large windows. The tower is least altered part of the earlier church, which may have originally been intended to carry a spire. The only post reformation element is the 1717 vestry. The church was restored by John Douglas c.1886.

Inside the church there is plenty of evidence for the earlier building. The chancel’s lower masonry, along with the sedilla, piscine, chancel arch, tower arch and pier bases are all survivals. Scars indicating a lower and steeper roof are visible. The most characteristic Decorated motif is the sunk quadrant moulding, which appears again in the arcade arches, indicating that these were rebuilt on the later piers. Four large cusped recesses in the north aisle are probably no later than 1300.

The camber-beam nave roof has many bosses and angels with spread wings some repaired. The aisle roofs have quatrefoil panels. The tower has a star rib-vault to a large bell-hole. The church chest appears to imitate the ironwork of the thirteenth century Chester armoire in a simpler technique.

<7> Kenyon, W.T., 1888-90, Malpas Town, Parish, and Church (Article in Journal). SCH8154.

The church, then a private chapel to the castle, was within the castle precinct. In the wall of the north aisle of the church are three pointed arches under one of which is a flat stone ornamented with tracery. These are possible the locations of tombs. The remains of a stone coffin were discovered under one of the arches during the restoration (c.1886). In the Brereton Chauntry several ancient tombstones with incised and floriated crosses were found. One has been re-used, and had the figures 1609 cut into it. All date from the the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

Over the porch is a priest's chamber known as the old vestry, which was reached by stone steps along tine western wall. The crypt under the altar contains a wooden coffer of hewn work rapidly decaying. The angles which the chancel makes with the nave are very curious, the walls of the chancel not being even parallel to each other. The plaster was removed from the walls during the restoration and a brass memorial found underneath indicates that it had been applied after 1750. A number of church books and an inscription were also discovered. Towards the southern end of the east wall in black letter and from an early edition of St. John's gospel: "Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead; but whoso eatyth of this Bread shall live for ever". Five consecration were also discovered; four on the south-westernmost capital, and one on the lintel of the south porch, eastward.

<8> Various, Written Communication to the HER, Petch. M, 1990. (Written Communication). SCH3756.

Earlier ‘Celtic’ heads among grotesques and gargoyles. Two interesting stone heads carved into blocks of sandstone under ‘twin heads’ on north and south side of the church.

<9> Williams SR, 1970s-1980s, Rhys Williams' Aerial Photographs, Malpas 1, 3 & 86 (Aerial Photograph). SCH4607.

<10> Higham N J, 1984-9, Professor Nick Higham's Aerial Photographs, 1986/8/33, 35, 37 & 39 (Aerial Photograph). SCH7659.

<11> Cambridge University, Various, Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography (CUCAP), GH.86 (Aerial Photograph). SCH7942.

<12> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol. II p.614-7 (Book). SCH1389.

Restored 1842. An arch in the steeple formerly exhibited the great western window to the church, but the lower part is now concealed by a projecting gallery erected in 1612. The grey marble font dates from 1815. In the wall of the north aisle are three pointed arches, under one of which is a flat stone ornamented with tracery, and near them another stone, on which is a cross fleury fitche, which was probably removed from beneath these arches. The tower has six bells cast in 1808. There are five old bells, of which four bear inscriptions (two of which include dates: 1508 and 1624). Includes detailed descriptions of some of the monumental inscriptions in the church.

<13> Rylands TM, Unknown, An Illustrated History of St Oswald's Malpas (Booklet-Leaflet). SCH8156.

The church was built in the second half of the fourteenth century on the site of an earlier church. There are no structural remains of this church surviving and no twelfth or thirteenth century masonry has been found; the only evidence being in the list of rectors. The fourteenth century church had no clerestory and had gabled roofs over the nave, aisles and chancel, the roof lines being still visible on the end walls and tower. The pillars and arches of the nave were much lower and their original height can be ascertained from the springer on the north side of the chancel arch.

The church was remodelled in the late fifteenth century. The roofs were removed and the side walls lowered to sill level. The walls were rebuilt to the present height with the present windows. The nave arcade was raised to its present height and the clerestory added. The only windows left untouched are those in the east walls of the aisles and the west wall of the tower. A two storey porch was constructed at the western end of the south aisle. The room above being the priest’s chamber.

The remodelled church wouldn’t withstand the side thrust of a gabled roof, hence the construction of the camber beam roofs. These are of a Cheshire type, but closely resemble the main roof at Gresford, which was constructed between 1460 and 1480. The celling were painted brown in 1840, but an old rafter fixed to the south wall shows that it was originally painted red and green. The aisle celling s are less richly carved than the nave. There are several different sizes and types of carved angels and it is evident that they have been moved in the past, possibly to keep the nave roof fully stocked (as an angel was lost to accident or decay, it was replaced with one from the aisles). They are now arranged according to type. Those in the nave have feathered bodies and those in the aisles wear surplices. Three angels in the south aisle are noticeably smaller and may have originally come from the chancel. The only angels with their original wings are three in the north aisle. All the others had poor quality plaster wings dating from 1831, which have now been replaced with fibreglass. The shields held by the angels do not carry their original designs.

The font dates from the fifteenth century and has an oak cover dated 1627. Above the arch between the nave and chancel hands a painting of St Peter’s denial by Hayman dating from the mid eighteenth century. Above the nave arches and below the level of the clerestory hang three pairs of hatchments belonging to the Dodd, Tarleton and Cholmondley families. There are two notable grave slabs, both of which were removed from the Cholmondeley Chapel to their present positions in 1950. The older is of blue stone with its brass coats of arms missing. However, the inscription in Norman French survives and is in the east wall of the Brereton Chapel and dates from between 1362 and 1446. The second is of white alabaster and bears the incised effigy of a priest. The Latin inscription identifies this as Urian Davenport, Rector of Malpas and Vicar of Acton who dies in 1495. The pews date from the 1880 restoration, though six box pews dating from 1680 have been relocated to the back of the south aisle.

The chancel was also remodelled in the fifteenth century and the earlier pitched roof line is visible in the east wall. The converging side walls use perspective to give an illusion of added length. Inside the chancel arch is an ancient beam which is all that remains of a once extensive rood loft and screen which had space for an altar. The figures on the screen were removed in the sixteenth century and the screen and loft removed entirely in 1717, having latterly been used as a singing gallery.

Originally there were four chantry chapels associated with the Virgin Mary (Lady Chapel), St Katherine, St George and St Nicholas. Wills seem to indicate that the Brereton Chapel in the south aisle was once the Lady Chapel. The location of the other chapels is uncertain, but it is possible that the Cholmondeley Chapel in the north aisle was once the St Nicholas Chapel. The two piscinas in the south wall of the Brereton Chapel may indicate a subdivision of some kind, though it has also been suggested that two chapels may have been located before the rood screen. There has been significant remodelling of the two surviving chantry chapels, evidenced by the screens abutting the middle of the adjacent windows and obstructing the sedilla. It is possible that they may have once encompassed two bays of each aisle and were shortened in 1717. The screens are in an early sixteenth century style, though some panels have been replaced in cast iron, possibly around 1717. The roof of the vault below the Cholmondeley Chapel was found to be unstable and was opened in 1950. It contained thirty-four burials many of which were in decorated lead coffins. Some of these decorations are visible on the chapel screen. The vault was infilled and permanently sealed.

Lists the major restoration work undertaken from 1738 to 1966.

<14> Crossley FH & Wolley-Dodd JC, 1949, An Architectural Histroy of the Church of Malpas in the County of Cheshire (Article in Journal). SCH8157.

<15> Aeon Archaeology, 2017, St Oswald’s Church, Malpas SY14 8PA: Archaeological Evaluation, R4178 (Client Report). SCH8992.

An archaeological evaluation comprising three test pits was undertaken in 2017 at the Grade I Listed St Oswald's Church, Malpas, in advance of a proposed extension. Each test pit was 1.2m square and a total of ten burials, aligned east-west, were uncovered. Three of the graves were almost certainly post medieval in date, with two being depicted on the 1884 graveyard plan. The remaining seven graves were of shallow depth suggesting that they pre-date the nineteenth century anti-grave robbing law. At least four were cut into the natural sandstone bedrock. No coffin remains or grave goods were recovered from them, although it was not the remit of the evaluation to fully excavate the burials. Bone preservation varied between very low to high. One grave, located in test pit 1, produced a shroud pin, suggesting a medieval date. The shallow depth of the seven graves also suggests a medieval origin and the discovery of skeletal remains beneath the church buttress confirms that a least one grave was of pre-fifteenth century date.

The recovered artefacts are surprisingly few. Only a four ceramic sherds were recovered although one of these, from a potential cooking jar or pot, is likely to be of thirtheenth century date and may be a result of domestic activity from the nearby medieval motte. Three clay tobacco pipe fragments were recovered dating from the a mid-eighteenth century. Other finds comprised two post medieval iron coffin nails, the iron shroud pin of probably medieval date and some slag fragments.

<16> Aeon Archaeology, 2018, St Oswald's Church, Malpas SY14 8PA: Archaeological Excavation and Watching Brief, R4179 (Client Report). SCH8486.

In the latter part of 2017 and January 2018, the archaeological work at St Oswald's continued. The footprint of the new toilet extension was excavated to a depth of 0.4m, together with excavation down to bedrock of three foundation pad pits. Additionally, a watching brief was undertaken for a gas utility trench. A total of 4,441 pieces of disarticulated human bone were recovered during the works, as well as 11 articulated human skeletons. All of the bone and skeletons were analysed as part of the archaeological mitigation and reburied on site (the bone anaysis report is presented as an appendix in the excavation report, SCH8486, R4179). There were no structural remains uncovered by the works, aside from three 19th Century grave markers, one of which overlaid a brick-built burial vault which was also retained in-situ.

Ten of the articulated skeletons were found in the three foundation pad pits. One of these graves (SK10), in foundation pit 2, had been cut into the natural sandstone bedrock at a depth of 1.48m below ground level; the depth of the burial suggests that it post-dates the Anatomy Act of 1832, although it was not shown on the graveyard plan of 1884. Also found in foundation pit 2 was a child's grave at quite a shallow depth and with the remains of a coffin and copper alloy plaque, so likely of a nineteenth century date. The other eight articulated skeletons were found at a relatively shallow depth, between 0.24m to 0.68m below ground level, suggesting a burial date before the Anatomy Act. All were aligned east-west and, apart from the find of a single shroud pin, none contained grave goods or coffin remains. The shallow nature of the burials, together with the shroud pin find, suggest a medieval or early post medieval date.

At the south-eastern end of the site a charnel pit (1023) was uncovered. It contained a large quantity of disarticulated human bone and a few other finds including post medieval pottery, clay pipe stem, medieval floor tile, lead came, glass, and a piece of coal. The pit was only excavated to the required depth of the development, but even so, produced 1,527 pieces of bone. It is thought to represent activity on site that resulted in the disturbance of burials, potentially the construction of the fifteenth century buttresses, of the late twentieth century church path.

The St. Oswald’s Church finds assemblage comprised the following range of artefacts: 12 fragments of medieval ceramic floor tile, 31 sherds of post-medieval pottery, 16 fragments of clay tobacco pipe, one fragment of post-medieval floor tile, three fragments of lead window came, a piece of metal slag, a piece of vitrified glass, a fragment of coal, a complete roof slate, a copper alloy shroud pin, and a variegated clay marble.

<17> Museum of London Archaeology, 2023, Archaeological Watching Brief at St Oswald’s Church, Malpas, R4696 (Client Report). SCH9452.

A further archaeological watching brief was carried out in 2022-2023 during groundworks associated with repairs to the grade II listed, southern and western graveyard walls (see 1689/1/3) of St Oswald’s Church. During the works, 76 articulated skeletons were uncovered (67 from the southern wall; 9 from the western) and 4068 separate fragments of disarticulated human bone collected. These were recorded and reinterred on site. No archaeological features other than grave cuts were found. The grave-cuts within the cemetery lay between the average depths of 600mm and 1000mm below the surface. Unstratified finds included several pieces of Medieval floor tile and the fragment of a 16th century chafing dish, decorated with a double sgraffito technique, the only known example of its kind in the region. (see 1689/1/3 for further detail)