Autumn sunset in Grappenhall, Parr Arms and St Wilfrids graveyard, Church lane, south Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK, WA4 3EA
The attractive Cheshire village of Grappenhall, near Warrington contains some interesting buildings and retains its characterful cobbled roads and village stocks. The name derives from the Old English words 'grop', 'grep', or 'grepe' (meaning ditch/drain), and halh (meaning flat land by a river). The village was first mentioned in the Domesday book of 1086, referred to as 'Gropenhale' the land was described as having a wood with deer and was valued as being worth five shillings. The village stands on the Bridgewater Canal, built for Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater by James Brindley and completed in 1772, it was once a busy commercial enterprise transporting coal from the mines in Worsley near Manchester to industries in Widnes, Runcorn and Northwich where the fuel was used in the production of chemicals. Nowadays the quiet towpath of the canal makes for a pleasant stroll. A Norman church stood on the site of the Church of St. Wilfred although it was largely rebuilt in the sixteenth century. The earliest recorded rector of the church was in 1189. A small chapel was added to the church by the local Boydell family in 1334 and contains a commemorative window in their honour. Fragments of medieval glass have been preserved from the chapel which form the most extensive medieval stained glass in Cheshire. During nineteenth century building work a Saxon font of the local red sandstone was discovered at a depth of about three feet below floor level. The chancel contains an effigy of Sir William Boydell, who died in 1275. The reredos is carved in oak and is based on the painting of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. The carving of a cat which adorns the west face of the church tower is said to have been the inspiration for the grinning Cheshire cat in Lewis Carrol's famous children's story 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. Carrol was born in the nearby village of Daresbury. By the gate to the churchyard stand the two stone uprights of the village stocks
Size: 3168px × 3084px
Location: Church Ln, south Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK, WA4 3EA
Photo credit: © Tony Smith / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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