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| St. Luke's, Holmes Chapel | The interior taken with natural light |
Permission for a chapel of ease was granted in 1245. At that time Holmes Chapel was within the jurisdiction of the Cistercian Abbey of Dieulacres in Leek. The abbey controlled the vicar of Sandbach who in turn appointed the curate of Holmes Chapel. The original wooden building was extended in 1430, probably to create a half timbered black and white building. St. Luke's is the longest timber framed church in Cheshire. The sandstone tower was built during improvements in the 15th and 16th centuries.
In 1705 the outside walls were removed and replaced by brick but the uprights and beams remained in situ. In addition a west gallery was built. The timber ceiling was plastered to improve the acoustics at a time when sermons became important. This work was funded by the ironmaster Thomas Hall who lived at the Hermitage. There was a forge at Cranage, near the road bridge. The iron came from the Lawton furnaces, which began in the 17th century. The ceiling was uncovered again in the 1930s. Fluting on wooden columns, visible to the far right in my photograph of the interior, was expensive. St. Luke's survived the great fire of 1753 which destroyed most of the village.
Further details on Holmes Chapel and the land owners in the areas are given on my page about the Armitsteads.
