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ST CHADS CHURCH

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The Church of St Chad's was rebuilt in its present location in 1790 after the original church had collapsed in 1788. Designed by George Steuart the church was consecrated in 1792. The church has an association with Charles Darwin who was baptised there in 1809 and attended the church as a boy.
The origins of a church dedicated to St Chad dates back to at least the 8th century. The new Church of St Chad's was rebuilt on the line of the old town walls and has a distinctive circular nave. It is made of ashlar and its architectural design is a mixture of Ionic, Doric and Corinthian styles.

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(SJ 48821244) St Chad's Church (C of E) (NAT) (1)

ST CHAD'S TERRACE
Church of St Chad
SJ 4812 SE 3/310 10.1.53.
2.
Built 1790-1792 by George Steuart of London. A circular 3 stone church with a Doric facade. The tower is square and rusticated at 1st storey level, the 2nd storey is octagonal with pilasters and the
3rd storey has a cupola surmounted by a cross and 8 plain composite columns. There is a Doric portico with pediment and triglyph frieze. The nave is surmounted by a stone balustrade. Round-headed windows flanked by Ionic pilasters. The base is rusticated. The fine interior has a Venetian window over the altar. The chancel arch is supported by 4 fluted composite columns and 4 fluted composite pilasters. 2-tier seating. The ground floor has plain Ionic columns, the 1st floor has fluted composite columns. Modillion cornice. The centre of the ceiling is embellished with 3 cherubs' heads. Many Neo-Classical monuments. Fine wrought iron banister to gallery with oval paterae. (2)

1632 ST CHAD'S TERRACE
Wall to the right of Church of St Chad
SJ 4812 SE 3/310A
II
Adjoining the church are 4 stone gate piers with hipped tops and reeded moulding. To the right of this is an 8 ft high wall in red
brick with stone coping. (3)

A church dedicated to St Chad (the first Bishop of Mercia in the 7th century) has been in Shrewsbury since medieval times. By the end of the 18th century the church had fallen into disrepair and in 1788 it collapsed. A new site was found for the church and the Scottish architect George Steuart (who had designed Attingham Park in Shrewsbury and a church in Wellington) was commissioned to undertake the work. Apparently a rectangular-planned church was chosen but by mistake another circular planned church was actually constructed. Stones from the old church were used as foundations and work began in 1790. The new Church of St Chad's opened in 1792 and its construction mixes Ionic, Doric and Corinthian styles. The circular nave is unique with the pews arranged like a maze. The pulpit is in the Arts and Crafts style and is made of copper and brass. The sanctuary is bordered by Corinthian pilasters and columns and contains fine reredos and windows made by Betton and Evans of Shrewsbury.
St Aidan's Chapel is on the right of the main entrance to the church and after World War 2 it was dedicated as a memorial chapel to the local regiment.
On November 15th 1809 Charles Darwin was baptised there. (4)

Darwin was baptized and went to church as a child at the Parish Church of St. Chad's. The Parish Register of Christenings and Burials has the following entry for Darwin:
15 November 1809:
Darwin Chas. Robt. Son of Dr. Robt. & Mrs. Susannah his wife/born Febr. 12th. (5)

The new Church of St Chad's was consecrated in 1792. It was rebuilt in a new location after the old St Chad's tower collapsed in 1788. It was rebuilt on the line of the old town walls and was designed by George Steuart. It has a round nave, thin cast iron pillars and window tracery and could accommodate up to 2000 people. (6)

The Church is made of ashlar over a rusticated basement with leaded roofs. There is a west tower, elliptical stair hall, and circular nave with shallow projecting chancel recess. The base of the tower is square with an octagonal upper section with paired Doric pilasters on each facet. This carries a cupola supported on free-standing Composite columns and a tall domed roof capped by a cross. There is an Ionic eastern entrance portico with tall arched entrance doors within. The date stone over the door reads: MDCCXC. There is an elliptical stair hall and circular nave which is articulated by paired Doric pilasters each side of round-arched windows. The parapet has alternating solid and balustraded sections. There are square windows in the lower wall.
The interior of the church is made up of a circular ante-chamber which gives access to a side chapel which contains a war memorial. There is an inner stair hall with a cantilevered stone staircase with cast-iron balustrade. This leads to the (liturgical) north and south and gives access to the gallery.
The main body of the church is circular and has wedges of original pews.
The gallery is supported on cast-iron cylindrical Ionic shafts which are raised on high bases. There is a second tier of fluted Composite shafts above which are linked to a plaster cornice. The ceiling is of plasterwork and is decorated with a foliate outer circle and inner radial and a round putti in clouds. There is a Palladian arch with fluted Composite shafts to the shallow chancel recess. This is decorated with an ornate gilded altar piece and low-reliefs
each side of a crucifix. The painted stained glass east window represents the Deposition from the Cross and the windows each side of the organ to the (liturgical) west are painted in a similar
style. The painted glass work is by David Evans and is copied from paintings. There is some armorial stained glass to the north and the glass windows in the stair hall are by Hardman.
There are a number of memorials in the church including marble memorial stones and hatchments. (7)

National Grid Reference SJ4881912448 (centroid of the object) identified by digital ordnance survey mapping. (8)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:1250 1964.

( 2) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE (HHR) Borough of Shrewsbury, Sept 1976. Page(s)163

(3) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE (HHR) Borough of Shrewsbury, Sept 1976. Page(s)163

(4) World Wide Web page

St.Chads Church Shrewsbury. 2008. History of St.Chad's with St. Marys, Shrewsbury, http://www.stchadschurchshrewsbury.com/history.html [Accessed 25-FEB-2009]

(5) World Wide Web page

The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. 2009. Charles Darwin. a life in pictures, http://darwin-online.org.uk/life1b.html [Accessed 25-FEB-2009]

(6) Richard K Morriss 1993 The buildings of Shrewsbury

Page(s)54- 56

(7) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DISTRICT OF SHREWSBURY & ATCHAM 653-1/14/536, 10/01/1953

(8) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

1:1250, 2007

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