Church of St Mark, Connah's Quay, Flintshire

History

Church dated 1836 and built at a cost of £1,785, by John Lloyd, architect. Plan in the late Georgian tradition with short apsidal chancel and W gallery, but with simple lancet-style exterior detail. A new chancel was added in 1876-8 by John Douglas, along with an organ chamber and vestry. At the same time, the pulpit, prayer desk and pews were renewed. The altar is a war memorial of 1920. The choir vestry, against the W tower, is of 1933 and built of stone from the former Kelsterton Brewery.

Exterior

Nave, chancel, W tower incorporating porch, SE vestry and NW choir vestry. Constructed of dressed yellow sandstone, the chancel later and of snecked sandstone, under slate roofs. Detail includes plinth, raised stone copings to gables with kneelers, tall narrow lancet windows with stone hoodmoulds. Tall 4-stage W tower, the upper stage slightly inset and with battlemented parapets; short swept slated-covered roof surmounted by a weather-vane; diagonal buttresses with offsets. W doorway with pointed arch and hoodmould containing a boarded door. To 2nd stage is a tripartite window, the narrow lancets linked by a continuous hoodmould. Diamond tablet to 3rd stage containing a roundel with inscribed date '1836'. To the N face is a clock, by J Benson of London. Louvre openings to 4th stage, all single lancets with hoodmoulds. The nave is 6-bay with single lancets divided by shallow angle buttresses with offsets. W end has single lancets flanking tower and lighting the gallery. In angle of tower and nave is the choir vestry, a single-storey gabled range at right-angles; triple lancet window to gable end. Chancel has continuous sill band; E window in plate tracery with 3 stepped lancets and 2 roundels; hoodmould with floral end stops. N side of chancel has a single light and an outshut to R with 3-light window to front and single light to L-return. S side has pair of lancets without hoodmould, L of which is the vestry. The outshut vestry has a pointed-arched doorway to E side, and steps leading down to a basement boiler room; S window with paired lancets, and stone stack to L rear.

Interior

Entrance lobby inside tower, with double wooden part-glazed doors with small panes leading into nave. Wide nave with 6-bay roof ceiled at collar level; substantial tie-beam trusses supported on arched braces, with curved principals and crown-posts; arched wind braces, wall-plate with pierced decoration, panelled roof. Gallery to W end on 2 narrow cast iron columns; gallery front with continuous blind lancets. Central aisle dividing pews, circular pulpit of Caen stone to front L, with a frieze of pierced lancets above blind cusped lancets and floral bosses. Arched organ recess to L of pulpit, the organ built in 1879 by Whiteley Brothers of Chester. Font to W, a plain octagonal bowl on circular stem, with IHS monograms and memorial inscription to 4 year old Cyril Davison. It was donated by his parents in 1876. Pointed chancel arch with several orders of mouldings on short wall shafts with ringed capitals. Panelled ceiling, the panels with stencilled floral decoration; wood panelled reredos donated in 1924; choir stalls with open traceried panels. The Altar, of carved oak, is a war memorial donated by the choir.

Memorials: to S wall of nave, square marble tablet with draped urn, to Trevor Owen Jones of Wepre Hall (d. 1839), and his wife Mary, by William Spence. To L, brass tablet to Howell Owen (d. 1890), also of Wepre Hall. Further brass tablets on S wall, including to George Bate of Kelsterton Hall. Marble war memorial tablet with arched top to E wall of nave. On N wall of nave, 3 square marble tablets, including to Lieutenant Roger Whitley Bate, who died in 1901 in the Boer War.

Stained glass: The E window shows the Crucifixion; it is dedicated to Thomas Bate (1850-1910) of Kelsterton Hall, and was erected in 1912, necessitating the removal of the earlier glass. At the W end, at gallery level, is a depiction of the Evangelist St Mark. To N of nave from R end, memorial of 1871 to James Davison, showing Jesus by the Sea of Galilee with 3 disciples, the face of the disciple James replaced by the face of the deceased. To L, memorial to Lieutenant Roger Whitley Bate (d. 1901) including St George slaying the dragon. The next 2 windows depict the Crucifixion and Resurrection, and formed part of the E window of 1876. Its 3rd panel, showing the Ascension, is in a window to S of nave. Also to S wall, early C20 dedications, including to Charles and Ellen Davison of Fairfield. To L end, memorial to Cyril Davison (d. 1865, aged 4), angels carrying the child heavenwards. Further stained glass to N and S chancel windows, including one showing the angels of death, to Sarah Jane Davison.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a good early C19 church, the simple gothic detail of the exterior contrasting with the late Georgian character of the interior.

External Links

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