Guildhall, Chester

Guildhall
Guildhall from Watergate Street
Guildhall Location in Cheshire
Coordinates: 53°11′24″N 2°53′41″W / 53.1899°N 2.8946°W / 53.1899; -2.8946
OS grid reference	SJ 403 663
Location	Watergate Street, Chester, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
History
Former name(s)	Holy Trinity Church, Chester
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	28 July 1955
Architect(s)	James Harrison
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Completed	1869
Specifications
Materials	Red sandstone with slate roofs

The Guildhall, formerly Holy Trinity Church, is a redundant church in Watergate in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building. In the early 1960s it was converted into the Guildhall.^[1]

History

The original building, which had a north aisle, probably dated from the 14th century. The east end and south side were rebuilt in 1680. This church had a spire which was rebuilt in the 1770s but in 1811 was taken down for reasons of safety.^[2] The present church was built between 1865 and 1869 to a design by James Harrison. He died before it was finished and the church was completed by the firm of Kelly and Edwards of Chester.^[1]

Architecture

Exterior

It is built in red sandstone with grey slate roofs. Its plan consists of a continuous nave and chancel with a clerestory, a west porch, a detached south spire and porch, and a vestry to the south. The tower has three stages with double doors to the east and above this a relief sculpture of Christ enthroned. The second stage has a lancet window and clock faces to the east and south. The third stage has two-light bell-openings, corner buttresses, a pierced parapet and a recessed octagonal stone spire with three lucarnes to each face.^[1]

Interior

Most of the fittings have been removed. The east window, dated 1885, is by Kempe,^[3] and depicts God and major Old Testament figures and saints.^[1] Now hidden by flooring is a memorial to John Whitmore who died in 1374.^[3] The former chancel screen and the reredos are also hidden.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Guildhall, Chester", The National Heritage List for England (English Heritage), 2011, http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1376467, retrieved 5 May 2011 
2. ^ Salter, Mark (1995), The Old Parish Churches of Cheshire, Malvern: Folly Publications, p. 29, ISBN 1-871731-23-2 
3. ^ ^{a b} Hartwell, Claire; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, p. 241, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6