Church of Saint Paul

Church of Saint Paul

A Grade II* listed church built in roughly coursed limestone rubble with Runcorn dressings and bands, beneath a slate roof. The building follows a cruciform plan with a nave flanked by narrow lean-to passage aisles and a high clerestory; shallow transepts; a chancel with organ chamber and vestry projecting to north and south; a massive tower at the north-west angle of the nave; and a narthex to the west.

The narthex has a central entrance to the west set in a deep moulded archway with lettering in the outer ring, beneath a steep gable projecting above the parapet. Two-light Decorated windows flank the entrance. A 5-light geometrical traceried west window to the nave is set in a moulded relieving arch. Heavy angle buttresses support the tower, which features a wide deeply moulded east-facing entrance with a statue in a niche above it. Stilted arched windows rise above, followed by tall paired bell-chamber lights with 3 tiers of quatrefoil tracery. A clock sits above, with an embattled parapet, slightly corbelled out. Battered buttresses clasp the 3 bays of the north aisle between the tower and transept, and the 4 bays of the south aisle between the canted baptistery and transept. Round-headed relieving arches frame tall plate-traceried clerestory windows, with paired flat-headed lights to the aisles. Geometric tracery appears in 4-light transept windows, with a rose window in the apex of the south transept and a lean-to porch in the east of the north transept. A triple window lights the organ chamber projecting from the north of the choir, with a square-headed window of 4 quatrefoil lights in its east wall. A complex 7-light geometric traceried east window to the chancel is set in a moulded relieving arch.

Interior

The west narthex spans 3 bays in width with a rib-vaulted ceiling and chamfered arches to the nave, dying into straight responds. A memorial altar stands against the south wall. The western bay of the nave opens into a baptistery to the north, and a porch in the base of the tower to the south. This porch is divided from the nave by a richly worked limed oak screen and doors, erected as a memorial to Rosina Forsyth Conwy who died in 1934, and similar in detail to the reredos, suggesting it may be the work of W D Caroe.

The font in the baptistery has a simple cylindrical basin with a low relief inscription band, carried on clustered shafts with a wood and wrought iron hood. The wide nave contains an arcade of 4 bays with chamfered arches dying into straight responds. Long fluted corbels carry wall posts of principal trusses of a wagon roof derived from hammer-beam principals, with solid curved braces carrying the base of the truss away from the wall line. Narrow passage aisles flank either side, each with paired splayed windows. Very wide transepts feature asymmetrical arches: the double chamfered arches die into the west respond but are carried on moulded corbel brackets to the east. A deep moulded chancel arch has clustered shafts carried on enriched fluted corbels. A pulpit on a stone base stands to the north with a cast iron balustrade and openwork wood traceried panels. A wrought iron chancel rail is raised up steps.

The chancel is distinguished by a richer decorative scheme: stone clustered shafts form wall posts, and the wall plates are decorated with an ornate quatrefoil frieze. The sanctuary is further distinguished by the use of traceried panels in the roof. The sedilia and piscina are simply but robustly moulded.

Furnishings

The intricately worked choir stalls were designed by John Douglas and feature a traceried arcaded and canopied rear screen, richly worked bench ends with stylised poppy heads, traceried panels and inset roses. Seat backs are divided by pilasters with shallow traceried panels. An organ stands behind to the south, now balanced by a painted screen in the north transept.

The reredos was designed by W D Caroe and made by Messrs Boulton of Cheltenham in 1935. It is exquisitely worked in limed oak with 2 tiers of panels to either side, a decorated frieze and mid rail. Intricate filigree work adorns canopied niches housing reliefs and figures of saints. A high relief central panel depicting the Supper at Emmaus stands out from a gilded and painted ground. Free-standing riddle posts stand to either side.

Stained Glass

The east window contains a rich Neo-Renaissance composition of around 1900. The west window and narthex windows are by Horace Wilkinson, dating to 1920–1. Various late 19th and 20th century windows appear in the aisles, some by Shrigley and Hunt of Lancaster.