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St Boniface, Bunbury, Cheshire

Location
(53°7′5″N, 2°38′43″W)
Bunbury
SJ 569 581
pre-1974 traditional (England and Wales) Cheshire
now Cheshire East
  • Ron Baxter
  • Ron Baxter

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Feature Sets
Description

The church that stands today is on the plan of the collegiate church projected by Sir Hugh Calvely in 1385-86 and begun after 1388. Of this only the lower parts of the S nave wall, the W tower, the N treasury and the chancel with its arch survive. The parish retained the nave, and they replaced it c.1500 with the present light and airy six-bay construction with its large aisle windows and the aisles extending alongside the tower. In 1527 the Ridley Chapel was added to the S of the chancel, the chancel wall being pierced by a two-bay arcade while the E window of the S nave aisle was retained (as at Acton). The present clerestorey dates from 1865, and replaces one of c.1500. None of the fabric of the Romanesque church survives in place, but carved stones have been discovered beneath the floor from time to time, and all are now stored in the S porch, along with the assortment of ironwork and flower-arranging equipment essential to the operation of a modern church. This store is something of an Aladdin's cave, containing as it does a substantial collection of later medieval carved tomb-slabs, moulded stones, and the 12thc. stones described below. There may well be more.

History

Bunbury was held by Robert fitzHugh of Earl Hugh of Chester in 1086. A priest was noted but no church.

Benefice of Bunbury and Tilstone Fearnall.

Features

Loose Sculpture

Comments/Opinions

The stones all come from a mid-12thc. campaign - a building for which no other evidence survives. The chevron stones most probably came from a doorway.

Bibliography

F. H. Crossley, An Introduction to the Fabric of Bunbury Church. Paper contributed to the church and published on http://www.stbonifacebunbury.org.uk/

N. Pevsner and E. Hubbard, The Buildings of England. Cheshire. Harmondsworth 1971 (repr. 1978), 119-20

R. Richards, Old Cheshire Churches. London 1947, 74-82.