St Boniface's Church, Bunbury

St Boniface's Church, Bunbury
St Boniface's Church, Bunbury, from the northwest
St Boniface's Church, Bunbury Location in Cheshire
Coordinates: 53°07′06″N 2°38′43″W / 53.1182°N 2.6453°W / 53.1182; -2.6453
OS grid reference	SJ 568 581
Location	Bunbury, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Boniface, Bunbury
History
Dedication	Saint Boniface
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	12 January 1967
Architect(s)	Pennington and Bridgen
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic
Completed	1866
Specifications
Length	160 feet (49 m)
Width	42.5 feet (13 m)
Materials	Red sandstone, lead and slate roof
Administration
Parish	Bunbury
Deanery	Malpas
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Revd Tim Hayward
Laity
Reader(s)	Mike Verity, Tom Crotty, Kath Collinge, Peter Collinge, Pat Edgley
Organist(s)	Andrew Dean
Churchwarden(s)	Jill Robey Neil Dewson-Smyth

St Boniface's Church stands prominently in the village of Bunbury, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. The church dates mainly from the 14th century. Its features include the Ridley chapel, the alabaster chest tomb of Sir Hugh Calveley and the tomb of Sir George Beeston. Richards considers it is architecturally one of the most important examples of its period in Cheshire.Alec Clifton-Taylor includes it in his list of 'best' English parish churches. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Malpas. Its benefice is combined with that of St Jude, Tilstone Fearnall.

From the 8th century a church has been on the site, initially a wooden Anglo-Saxon church. By 1135 a stone Norman church was present. The church was rebuilt in the decorated style in 1320. In 1385–86 Sir Hugh Calveley endowed it as a collegiate church, which resulted in more rebuilding: much of the existing structure dates from this time. A chantry chapel was added in 1527 by Sir Rauph Egerton of Ridley. After the dissolution of the chantries and collegiate churches in 1547, Thomas Aldersey acquired the church's tithes and advowson, and he endowed a preacher and a curate in Bunbury. He donated the tithes and advowson to the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, who followed his wishes in appointing Puritan ministers who later included William Hinde.