History

Built 1898-1902 by Douglas and Minshull, architects of Chester; the patron was W E Gladstone but the church was completed after his death. The original design included a tower, the base of which was built in 1924. A vestry was erected against the S side of the tower base when the original N vestry was converted to a war-memorial chapel.

Exterior

Church in simple Gothic style, with Early English influence. Clerestoreyed nave, higher apsidal-ended chancel, N and S aisles, N porch with bellcote, N chapel, and S vestry. Constructed of snecked and textured pink and red local sandstone with paler freestone dressings under green slate roofs. Detail includes stepped and raked angle buttresses, high moulded plinth, continuous hoodmoulds to windows, raised copings to gables and crucifix finials; the windows are mainly lancets with moulded stone dressings, containing small-pane leaded glazing.

The N side has a broad gabled porch to R end, with deeply moulded and low springing entrance arch; stepped arched buttresses to sides; 2 small lancets to E. Octagonal bellcote with spire to NW angle, with narrow stairlights. Upper stage of grey stone with louvre openings to each face, single or paired lancets; small lucarnes to spire. Nave clerestorey is 5-bay with pairs of small lancets (single to R, adjacent to bellcote). Below, N aisle has 3 larger lancets with nook shafts and foliated capitals, separated by angle buttresses; smaller window to L; to far L eaves project down over a pointed-arched doorway. Similar arrangement of windows to S aisle and clerestorey, the 4-window aisle without nook shafts. W end has large 5-light window under single arch with sill band, containing stepped-up cusped central light flanked by cinquefoil oculi over paired lancets. Beneath this window are 3 small single lancets. Cusped 2-light windows to W ends of aisles, with lancet stairlights to R of N aisle.

Gabled N chapel has 3-window N side with narrow lancets; its E gable end has a stepped 3-light window, heavily moulded with nook shafts with ringed capitals. High chancel with 3-sided E end with string course to parapets and a hipped roof; Geometric windows with cusped lights and plain roundels, 3-light facing E and 2-light to NE and SE, over a high sill band. Brick eaves stack to S roof pitch of chancel. Against the S wall is the base of the tower which was never completed, with set-back buttresses; windows to E side, a pair of lancets under a hoodmould to ground, and 2 single lancets above. Brick abutments further up the chancel wall would have linked with its upper stages. Added to the S of the tower base is a single-storey vestry, of similar materials and with gable parapets. The S side is 4-window with square-headed 2-light windows. W gable end has 3-light window, the lights with segmental heads under a hoodmould. To L of range, in angle with S aisle, is a lean-to porch with splayed segmental-headed doorway. Similar segmental-headed doorway offset to R of E gable end, with 2-light window to L.

Interior

Ashlared interior with 4-bay arcades, the tall pointed arches with continuous narrow mouldings. Narrow full-height pilasters rising from the haunches of the arches terminate in stone corbels which carry the tie-beams. Wood panelled roof, ceiled at collar level, supported by tie-beam trusses with King-posts. Moulded sill band to splayed clerestorey windows. Gallery to W end with wood panelled front, the upper tier with open balustrading. Beneath gallery, octagonal stone font on 4 round shafts, with small panel to each face bearing a dove or monogram. Decorative octagonal stone pulpit to NE, with pierced lancets. High chancel arch with mouldings as arcade, supported on short wall posts with ringed capitals. Smaller arch at E end of N aisle, leading into chapel, formerly the vestry, now dedicated as a war memorial; its windows have nook shafts. Between the chapel and choir is an open-work wooden screen with traceried upper panels; the lower panels record those who fell in World War I. In the chancel are large arches to N and S, to chapel and organ chamber, respectively. Highly decorative choir stalls with traceried panels. To rear, high canopied triptych altar-piece bearing painted angels, said to have been a gift of the architect.

Brass plaque in chapel dedicated to those who fell in WWI (1914-19). Other small C20 memorials in church. Stained glass windows, including Crucifixion to E window, dedicated to Francis Davison and others. The W windows show St Ethelwold to L, Virgin & Child to centre and Hugh of Lincoln to R, all by Frampton of London. They are dedicated to Catherine Gladstone (d. 1918), from her grandchildren. N aisle windows include St Christopher, in memory of James Vivian Harris, Churchwarden. The S aisle windows are of the 1970s.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a strongly designed Victorian Gothic church by the notable regional architect, John Douglas and his partner.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• St Ethelwold's Church, Shotton at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q7593045

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.

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