Toxteth Park: St Andrew
Overview
Grid reference: SJ 372 871
The west front faces the road and sets the style of the church immediately as a simple but eclectic Gothic with some Geometrical motifs and some which might almost be called free Perpendicular. The large west window dominates the composition, with heavy plate tracery of stone set within a brick arch.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
The five bay nave has a south-west porch and disparate aisles; the south is a simple structure under a continuous pent roof, but the north is elaboratedby cross-gables to the second and third bays from the east; there is a north-west porch. The chancel has a south organ chamber and north vestries.
Description of Archaeology and History
By George Bradbury and Sons, 1893. The church was built from the proceeds derived from the site of St. Andrew, Renshaw Street which was built in 1815 and closed in 1892.
Exterior Description
The west front faces the road and sets the style of the church immediately as a simple but eclectic Gothic with some Geometrical motifs and some which might almost be called free Perpendicular. The large west window dominates the composition, with heavy plate tracery of stone set within a brick arch. The three lancet lights are stepped, with circles in the spandrels above the side lights. Small gabletted buttresses stand at the north and south corners, with stone dressings, and there are two rectangular openings in the apex of the gable to ventilate the roof-space. The aisles are treated asymmetrically, with two broad lancets in the west wall of the north aisle while the south aisle has a gabled porch projecting from the west wall which forms the main entrance to the church. The doorway is almost round-headed, but a point is just discernible. It is decorated with simple mouldings of pressed bricks.
The south flank of the nave has triple lancets in the aisle and pairs of rectangular openings, each of three tiny lights, in each bay of the clerestory. The north flank is more ambitious in order, no doubt to provide a more interesting appearance to the road which runs parallel with this side of the building. The first bay has the addition of a porch; the second bay follows the pattern of those of the south aisle; then the next two bays are cross-gabled with three-light windows in each filled with Decorated tracery. These bays project further than those to the west, making the aisle of disproportionate width internally. The fifth and last bay also projects as far, but reverts to a pent roof as before, a flat roof being employed to make up the difference.
The east wall of the chancel has a large five-light window with Geometric tracery consisting chiefly of a large octofoil; the hood mould terminates in label-stops carved as heads of a king and a queen exactly the same as those at the west window.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
West window: a War Memorial by Hiller of Liverpool, in their usual post-pre-Raphaelite idiom, representing Christ the Redeemer flanked by St. George and St. Nicholas. Below each figure are appropriate scenes of wartime activities, and the angel faces in the heads of each light and in the roundels are especially post-Rossetti.
Stained Glass
1893
The east window is explained by a showy brass inscription scroll beneath incorporating a coat-of-arms and crest which reads 'In Memory of the Founder of St. Andrew's Church, Liverpool, (1815-1892), Sir John Gladstone, Bart., this east window was erected by his grandson Walter Longueville Gladstone, 17th June 1893' . The central figure of Christ is surrounded by representations of miracles of healing, together with angels and prophets with scrolls.
Stained Glass
c.1950
West windows of north aisle: St Andrew and Christ the Good Shepherd. Small figures set against opaque glass background.
Interior
Interior Description
The interior is faced with brown bricks. The stress of the nave is horizontal, with the small rectangular clerestory windows merging into a row above the tall wide arches of the nave arcade. These arches have two moulded orders and are carried on octagonal piers with moulded bases and capitals. The south aisle is quite plain, and the north aisle represents a rather amorphous appearance due to the over-large width created by the cross-gabled bays. These are supported on intermediate stone piers of slender proportions. The floors are of wood blocks throughout nave and aisles.
The chancel is raised on three steps above the level of the naves and is separated from it by an arch of two moulded orders of brick. Within the chancel on the north is a blind arch and on the south is an arch filled with the front pipes of the organ. Further east on the north is a doorway to the clergy vestry and then within the sanctuary a credence shelf under a sharp gablet. On the south side within the sanctuary are two sedilia under brick lancet arches. The ceiling is a panelled barrel vault, and the floor is paved with harshly coloured encaustic tiles.
Fixtures and fittings
Font (object)
1893
The font is of brown alabaster, of 1893 but still the end of revived Gothic and not at all Arts and Crafts; the smooth cup-shaped bowlwith the usual text round the rim is supported by four colonettes in a tight cluster round a central drum.
Pulpit
The pulpit is of oak, with traceried panels and a vine-trail cornice.
Lectern
The lectern is also of oak, a realistically carved eagle on a slender octagonal pedestal.
Organ (object)
c.1893
The organ is a two-manual instrument with tracker action by Gray and Davison, no doubt of c.1893. There are twenty-three speaking stops.
Reredos
c.1907
Oak.
Altar
c.1907
Oak.
Stall
c.1907
Oak.
Rail
c.1907
Oak.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SJ 372 871
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
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