Description

WRENBURY CUM FRITH C.P. WRENBURY GREEN
SJ 54 NE
2/89 Church of St. Margaret
12.1.67
GV II*

Church. Early C16 with C18 and C19 alterations and additions, the
nave and porch having been restored in 1794 and the chancel rebuilt in
1806 and re-Gothicised in 1865. Red sandstone ashlar with a plain
tile roof. Aisled nave, chancel and western tower. Tower: western
face: diagonal buttresses with offsets, doorway to the ground floor
centre now blocked to its lower body and having a window with
interlacing tracery above. Shields to the spandrels and a Tudor hood
mould. Above this is a pointed arched window with deep chamfered
surround which has C19 panel tracery inserted and a hood mould with
figurehead label stops. String course above on which rests a central
lancet with a belfry opening of 2 cusped lights with a quatrefoil
above. Louvres to the openings and a hood mould over. Gargoyle to
left of centre and battlemented parapet above with crocketed pinnacles
to the corners. The northern side is plain to the lower body with a
similar arrangement of lancet and belfry openings above the string
course as appears on the western front. The southern face is
essentially similar save that there is an octagonal staircase turret at
riqht rising above the level of the tower parapet and finishing in an
ogee lead cap with a weather cock. Above the string course is a
circular iron clock face. Nave: of 4 bays with angle buttresses and
chamfered window surrounds each containing 3 lights with hood moulds.
Buttresses between with offsets and a battlemented parapet above set
with large robustly carved gargoyles. The gabled porch to the left has
diagonal buttresses, a battlemented parapet and a central double
doorway with moulded surround. The clerestory of 5 bays is a later
addition and has 3-light windows with square tops and two lead
rainwater heads bearing the date of the restoration, 1794.
Battlemented parapet above. The north side has a blank bay to the
right to which a low C20 brick outshut has been added. To the left of
this are 4 windows, each of 3 lights with hood moulds and figurehead
label stops and having buttresses between with offsets. Battlemented
parapet above. Clerestory similar to that on the southern side with
two similar dated lead rainwater heads. Chancel: north side: blank
save that there is a lead downpipe with moulded brackets and rainwater
head dated 1806 to the re-entrant angle. The south side is similar
save that it has a priests doorway with pointed arch and double
chamfered surround and a similar downpipe and rainwater head to the
re-entrant angle. The eastern end has a 3-light window of vaguely
Perpendicular plate tracery. Blind quatrefoil to the apex dated AD
1806. Battlemented parapet above.
Interior: Octagonal piers to the nave arcades, that to the northern
side having slightly taller arches and capitals with different and
apparently earlier moulding to the capitals in comparison with those
of the southern arcade. Marks on the western wall of the tower show
the original roof level before the clerestory was added. The box pews
to the nave and aisles are all of early C19 date as is the western
gallery which has oval panels to this front with trefoils to the
spandrels and a diamond lattice pattern below with cusping forming
quatrefoils. Square pulpit with chamfered corners and fluted pilasters
similar to that at the Church of St. Peter , Little Budworth C.P.,
Vale Royal R.D.C. Fine series of wall memorial tablets in the chancel
to the Cotton and Starkey families including three by John Bacon junior
to Thomas Starkey of 1805 to J Jennings of London brother of Elinor
Starkey of 1809 and to Elinor Starkey of 1815 all showing figures in
relief against an obelisk above rectangular tablets with an apron.
Memorial by Turner, architect of Chester, to Sir Lynch Salusbury Cotton
Bart. of Combermere Abbey of 1775 showing urns in relief against an
obelisk, also a memorial by Theed to Stapleton Cotton, Viscount
Combermere, showing classical figures, of 1865 with a portrait
medallion to the surmount.

Listing NGR: SJ5936447768

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Margaret's Church at Wikipedia
• St Margaret's Church official website
• Wikidata Q7594113

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)