St Luke’s Church, Holmes Chapel

St Luke’s Church, in Holmes ChapelBuilt-up area and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East., Cheshire East is a designated Grade 1 listed building,^[1] and an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester.^[2] The present church originated in about 1430 as a timber-framed building with a Perpendicular sandstone west tower. The naveCentral part of a church, used by the laiety. and chancel were encased in brick in the early 18th century.^[1]

Architecture

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Exterior

The tower is of sandstone and the nave and chancel are in brick, with a Welsh slate roof.^[1] The plan of the church consists of a four-bay nave with north and south aisles.^[3]

The one-bay chancelPart of a church containing the altar, used by the officiating clergy. has a lower roof than the naveCentral part of a church, used by the laiety., and there is a vestry to its north.^[3] The tower has a west doorway above which is a two-light window. Above this is a small square ringers’ window and belfry windows of two lights. The summit of the tower is embattled with gargoyles at each corner.^[4] On the north and south faces of the tower are diamond-shaped clock faces. The aisle windows are in two tiers with semicircular heads.^[1]

Interior

The 15th-century roof of the nave has arch-braced trussesStructural framework of timbers designed to bridge the space above a room and to provide support for a roof. with cambered tie beams,^[1] which were revealed when a later plaster ceiling was removed.^[4] Oak-panelled galleries dating from around 1705 are over the west end and the south aisle, the former containing the organ, and the latter box pews. A carved oak crest dated 1622 is near the communion rail. The stone font is dated 1890, and the oak pulpit is also from the 19th century.^[1] On the walls are wall memorials. The brass candelabrum, dated 1708, is the oldest in any church in Cheshire.^[4] The stained glass in the east window dates from 1921, and was designed by Horatio Walter Lonsdale. There are monuments in the church dated 1715, 1801, and 1836.^[5] The organ was built in 1851 by Richard Jackson, and was rebuilt in about 1900 by A. Young, and again in 1972 by L. Reeves.^[6] There is a ring of six bells, four of which are by Richard Sanders and date from 1709. The other two bells are dated 1858, and were cast by G. Mears of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.^[7]