Church in Chester, England
St Michael's Church is a redundant church standing on the corner of Bridge Street and Pepper Street in the city of Chester , Cheshire , England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building . The former church was previously used as a heritage centre ,[ 1] until March 2019, when it opened as Chester: A Life Story , a historical attraction tracing the life of Chester and its inhabitants over the last two thousand years.[ 2] It was then reopened in 2021 as Sick To Death , a historical attraction depicting the journey of medicine through the ages.[ 3]
A church on the site was burnt down in the great fire of Chester in 1188. It is not known when a stone church was first built but the chancel was built in 1496.[ 4] The churchwardens ' accounts show that the church was almost completely rebuilt in 1582. During the Siege of Chester in the 1640s the church was used as a prison.[ 5] In 1678 the chancel was widened and in 1710 a steeple 70 feet (21 m) high was built.[ 4] Much of the church was rebuilt by James Harrison in 1849–50. It was declared redundant in 1972.[ 6] It was acquired by Chester City Council and in 1975 opened as Britain's first heritage centre. Its parish registers from 1560 have survived.[ 5]
Roof structure The church is built in yellow sandstone with a grey slate roof.[ 1] Its plan consists of a west tower, a nave with a north aisle , and a chancel.[ 4] The tower is in three stages. The south end of Bridge Street Row passes through the open first stage of the tower, with stone steps up to the row to the north and down to the pavement to the south. The second stage has two-light windows with a clock face on the west side and a blank clock-face panel to the south. The third stage has bell openings, above which is a string course with gargoyles . On the top is a crenellated parapet with eight crocketed pinnacles and a wind vane. The south wall is also crenellated. On the chancel gable is a finial cross. Internally the 15th-century north arcade with octagonal piers , and the chancel roof of 1496, have been retained.[ 1] In the church is a monument to Roger Comberbach, who died in 1771, by Benjamin Bromfield. The stained glass in the window at the east end of the north aisle is by Clayton and Bell .[ 7]
^ a b c Historic England , "Heritage Centre, Chester (1376107)" , National Heritage List for England , retrieved 15 July 2012 ^ Holmes, David (13 March 2019), "New attraction will tell story of Chester and its people" , Cheshire Live, retrieved 16 April 2019 ^ "Sick to Death – Discover Chester's dark past" . Retrieved 30 September 2021 . ^ a b c Richards, Raymond (1947), Old Cheshire Churches , London: Batsford, pp. 117–120 ^ a b "A Brief History of St Michael's Church" , Chester History and Heritage , Cheshire West and Chester , archived from the original on 16 July 2011, retrieved 15 July 2012 ^ Salter, Mark (1995), The Old Parish Churches of Cheshire , Malvern: Folly Publications, p. 32, ISBN 1-871731-23-2 ^ Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward ; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire , The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press , pp. 242–243, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6 Media related to St Michael's Church, Chester at Wikimedia Commons
Churches in Cheshire
St Mary's Church, Acton Alderley Edge Methodist Church St Philip's Church, Alderley Edge St John the Baptist's Church, Aldford Christ Church, Alsager St Mary Magdalene's Church, Alsager St John the Evangelist's Church, Alvanley St Mark's Church, Antrobus St Cross Church, Appleton Thorn St Elizabeth's Church, Ashley St John the Evangelist's Church, Ashton Hayes St Mary's Church, Astbury St Peter's Church, Aston-by-Sutton Audlem Baptist Church St James' Church, Audlem St Oswald's Church, Backford St Michael's Church, Baddiley Christ Church, Barnton St Bartholomew's Church, Barrow St Bertoline's Church, Barthomley Holy Trinity Church, Bickerton St Wenefrede's Church, Bickley Bollington Methodist Church St John the Baptist's Church, Bollington St Oswald's Church, Bollington Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bosley St Paul's Church, Boughton St Oswald's Church, Brereton Brown Knowl Methodist Church St Mary's Church, Bruera St Boniface's Church, Bunbury St Mary's and St Michael's Church, Burleydam St Nicholas' Church, Burton St John's Church, Burwardsley St John the Evangelist's Church, Byley Holy Trinity Church, Capenhurst Holy Trinity Chapel, Capesthorne St John the Evangelist's Church, Chelford English Presbyterian Church of Wales, Chester Chester Cathedral Christ Church, Chester Holy Trinity Church, Chester Northgate Church, Chester St Andrew's Church, Chester St Francis' Church, Chester St John the Baptist's Church, Chester St Peter's Church, Chester Church of St Mary-on-the-Hill, Chester St Michael's Church, Chester St Nicholas' Chapel, Chester St Olave's Church, Chester St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Chester St Werburgh's Church, Chester Welsh Presbyterian Church, Chester Zion Chapel, Chester St Nicholas' Chapel, Cholmondeley St James' Church, Christleton All Saints Church, Church Lawton St Bartholomew's Church, Church Minshull St Mary's Church, Coddington St Mary's Church, Congleton St Peter's Church, Congleton St Michael's Church, Coppenhall St John's Church, Cotebrook St Barnabas' Church, Crewe St Mary's Church, Crewe St Peter's Church, Crewe Union Street Baptist Church, Crewe St Michael and All Angels Church, Crewe Green Christ Church, Croft Christ Church, Crowton All Saints' Church, Daresbury St Wilfrid's Church, Davenham St Peter's Church, Delamere St Mary's Church, Disley St Michael's Church, Ditton St John's Church, Doddington St Mary's Church, Dodleston St Luke's Church, Dunham on the Hill Christ Church, Eaton St Mary's Church, Eccleston Christ Church, Ellesmere Port St Chad's Church, Farndon St Luke's Church, Farnworth Forest Chapel St Laurence's Church, Frodsham St James' Church, Gawsworth St Wilfrid's Church, Grappenhall St Luke's Church, Goostrey St Mary and All Saints' Church, Great Budworth All Saints Church, Great Saughall Baptist Chapel, Great Warford St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton St Mary's Church, Hale St Mary's Church, Halton St Mary's Church, Handbridge All Saints Church, Handley St Peter's Church, Hargrave St John's Church, Hartford All Saints Church, Harthill St Matthew's Church, Haslington St Philip's Church, Hassall Green St Paul's Church, Helsby St Thomas' Church, Henbury St John's Church, High Legh St Mary's Chapel, High Legh St Luke's Church, Holmes Chapel Church of St Mary of the Angels, Hooton St Michael's Church, Hulme Walfield Holy Trinity Church, Hurdsfield St James' Church, Ince St Philip's Church, Kelsall St John the Evangelist's Church, Kingsley Brook Street Chapel, Knutsford St Cross Church, Knutsford St John the Baptist's Church, Knutsford St Peter's Church, Little Budworth St Michael and All Angels Church, Little Leigh St Oswald's Church, Lower Peover St Luke's Church, Lower Whitley Lymm Baptist Church St Mary's Church, Lymm King Edward Street Chapel, Macclesfield St Alban's Church, Macclesfield St George's Church, Macclesfield St Michael's Church, Macclesfield St Paul's Church, Macclesfield St Peter's Church, Macclesfield Macclesfield United Reformed Church St Oswald's Church, Malpas St Michael's Church, Marbury St James' and St Paul's Church, Marton St Michael and All Angels, Middlewich St Peter's Church, Minshull Vernon Minshull Vernon United Reformed Church St Wilfrid's Church, Mobberley St Stephen's Church, Moulton St Mary's Church, Nantwich St Mary's and St Helen's Church, Neston St Mary's Church, Nether Alderley St John the Evangelist's Church, Norley St Michael's Church, North Rode Holy Trinity Church, Northwich St Helen Witton Church, Northwich St Luke's Church, Oakhanger St Peter's Church, Oughtrington St Catherine's Church, Over Alderley St Lawrence's Church, Over Peover St Paul's Church, Over Tabley St Chad's Church, Over Over United Reformed Church St Thomas' Church, Parkgate St Peter's Church, Plemstall Poole Methodist Chapel St Christopher's Church, Pott Shrigley St George's Church, Poynton St Peter's Church, Prestbury St Mary's Church, Pulford Holy Trinity Church, Rainow St Mary's Church, Rostherne All Saints' Church, Runcorn Holy Trinity Church, Runcorn Jenkin Chapel St Mary's Church, Sandbach Sandbach Methodist Church St John the Evangelist's Church, Sandbach Heath St John the Evangelist's Church, Sandiway All Saints Church, Scholar Green St Edith's Church, Shocklach St Michael's Church, Shotwick All Saints Church, Siddington St John the Baptist's Church, Smallwood All Saints Chapel, Somerford St Lawrence's Church, Stoak St Thomas' Church, Stockton Heath St Matthew's Church, Stretton St Peter's Church, Swettenham St Peter's Church, Tabley St Helen's Church, Tarporley St Andrew's Church, Tarvin St Alban's Church, Tattenhall All Saints Church, Thelwall St Mary's Church, Thornton-le-Moors St John's Church, Threapwood St Mary's Church, Tilston St Jude's Church, Tilstone Fearnall St John the Evangelist's Church, Toft St Chad's Chapel, Tushingham St Chad's Church, Tushingham Holy Ascension Church, Upton-by-Chester St Leonard's Church, Warmingham Holy Trinity Church, Warrington St Alban's Church, Warrington St Elphin's Church, Warrington St John the Evangelist's Church, Warrington St Mary's Church, Warrington St Peter's Church, Waverton Methodist Church, Weaverham St Mary's Church, Weaverham Wesley Methodist Church, Chester All Saints' Church, Weston, Cheshire St John the Evangelist's Church, Weston Christ Church, Wheelock St Mary's Church, Whitegate St Ambrose Church, Widnes St Bede's Church, Widnes St Marie's Church, Widnes St Mary's Church, Widnes St Saviour's Church, Wildboarclough Christ Church, Willaston Dean Row Chapel, Wilmslow St Bartholomew's Church, Wilmslow St Michael's Church, Wincle St John the Evangelist's Church, Winsford St Oswald's Church, Winwick Church of St Mary the Virgin, Wistaston St Oswald's Church, Worleston St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury