St James' Church, Gawsworth, Cheshire , UK
N 53° 13.452 W 002° 09.983
30U E 555653 N 5897535
A beautiful Grade 1 listed Church set in the village of Gawsworth near to Gawsworth Hall.
Waymark Code: WM775H
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/12/2009
Views: 3
There is a record of a Norman chapel on the site in the 13th century however the present church dates from the 15th Century and was built by the Fitton Family. The churchyard wall had to be built around a yew tree which is still there.
The oldest part of the church is the nave and dates from 1430 and is built from limestone. The tower and the chancel were built 40 years later from pink sandstone.
A stone cross in the churchyard dates from around the same time as the church. It has carvings of animals on it which represents the expulsion of evil spirits.
At the entrance of the church there are a pair of 18th century gatepiers which are grade 2 listed. Featured on the gatepiers are carvings of skull and crossbones.
In the chancel are 4 tombs of the members of the Fitton Family. The first one is for Francis Fitton, a knight, who was buried in 1608. The second is for Dame Alice Fitton who died in 1626. Adjacent is the tomb of Sir Edward Fitton, 1st baronet, and his wife Anne who died in 1619 and 1644 respectively. In front of the tomb are the kneeling figures of their three sons and seven daughters. One of the daughters was Mary, a maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth I and a candidate for the "Dark Lady" of Shakespeare's sonnets. The fourth tomb is to the memory of Sir Edward Fitton, 2nd baronet, who died in 1643, and his first wife Jane.
Building Materials: Stone
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Visit Instructions:
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