St Michael's Church, Baddiley

St Michael's Church, Baddiley
St Michael's Church, Baddiley, from the southeast
St Michael's Church, Baddiley Location in Cheshire
Coordinates: 53°02′56″N 2°35′26″W / 53.0489°N 2.5905°W / 53.0489; -2.5905
OS grid reference	SJ 604 502
Location	Baddiley, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Michael's Baddiley
History
Founded	1308
Dedication	Saint Michael
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	12 January 1967
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic
Groundbreaking	1308
Completed	1811
Specifications
Materials	Chancel timber-framed with brick infill; nave timber framing encased in brick; tiled roof
Administration
Parish	Baddiley, Wrenbury & Burleydam
Deanery	Nantwich
Archdeaconry	Macclesfield
Diocese	Chester
Province	York
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Revd Alison Fulford
Assistant priest(s)	Revd Ruth Harrison (retired)
Laity
Churchwarden(s)	Mr Ron High, Mrs Dorothy Blackburn
Parish administrator	Mrs Ros High

St Michael's Church is in the civil parish of Baddiley, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. The church lies at the end of a lane near to Baddiley Hall, formerly the home of the Mainwaring family. It dates from the early 14th century. The nave and chancel are divided by a pre-Reformation screen and tympanum. The church is one of a 'handful' of timber-framed churches remaining in the country. It continues to be an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Nantwich. Its benefice is combined with those of St Mary's and St Michael's Church, Burleydam and St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury.

The church dates from 1308. In 1811 the nave, other than the west gable, was encased in brick. In 2003–2004 repairs were carried out to the timber framework, the south door and the external brickwork of the chancel. The last resting place of Helen Edwards née Macfarlane; first translator from The German into English of "The Communist Manifesto"

The plan of the church is simple consisting of a three-bay nave and a narrower lower chancel with a vestry to its north. In the west wall is an inset porch. The timber framing of the chancel is now infilled with brick which has replaced the original wattle and daub. Its north and south walls feature close studding with no middle rail. In the centre of the south wall is a Gothic wooden door flanked by three-light windows. The lean-to vestry is on the north side. The east wall has a three-light window with a small trefoil window above it. The nave has three three-light windows with Gothic heads in the north and south walls. The west wall has pairs of brick pilasters flanking the porch, which contains side seats. On the apex of the gable is a louvred bell turret.