CHURCHE'S MANSION

'Churche's Mansion' is a timber-framed, black-and-white Elizabethan mansion house at the eastern end of Hospital Street in Nantwich, Cheshire (). The grade-I-listed building dates from 1577, and is one of the very few to survive the Great Fire of Nantwich in 1583.^[1]

Contents

History

Exterior features

Interior features

References

External link

History

Churche's Mansion was built for Richard Churche, a local merchant, and his wife Margerye by Thomas Clease in 1577.^[2] A panel under a window to the right of the entrance bears the inscription:

Rychard Churche, and Margerye Churche, his wyfe mai iiii

Thomas Clease made this worke, anno dni, M,ccccc,lxxvii,

in the xviiii yere of the reane of our noble queene elesabeth

The Churche or Church family was a prominent one in Nantwich at that time; the mercer Thomas Church and his nephew William occupied 46 and 48 High Street, rebuilt in 1584 after the fire.^[3] Thomas Clease also built the 'Queen's Aid House' on the High Street.^[4]
Standing on the edge of the old town, Churche's Mansion survived the fire six years after it was built which burned for twenty days and destroyed almost all of Nantwich. The only other buildings to survive were nearby Sweetbriar Hall and St Mary's Church.^[5]
The Churche family inhabited the house until 1691. From 1869, Churche's Mansion housed a ladies' boarding school.^[6] It later fell into disrepair, and was at one point used as a cow keeper's store.⁵ In 1930, the mansion was saved from dismantling to ship to the USA by local resident Edgar Myott, who began restoration work on the building.^[7] During much of the 20th century it was used as a restaurant, and as of 2007 it is an antiques shop.⁶

Exterior features

Salamander carving

The mansion house has four gables to the front and a two-gabled wing to the left-hand side, and two prominent brick chimney stacks.¹ The building was formerly moated.² There are two storeys with an attic, with both the first and second floors overhanging the floor beneath to form jetties, a typical feature of timber-framed town houses of this date.^[8] The windows are predominantly mullioned and transomed, with some stained glass panels; some date from the 18th century, but several were replaced during 20th century renovations.¹
The eaves have corbel brackets with carvings including human faces and animals.¹ These include a lion and an ape, as well as a salamander, supposed to give protection against fire.^5[9] Gilded carvings of Richard and Margerye Churche are located above the door, on either side.^[10]

Interior features

The house is laid out around a large central hall with a spiral staircase. The hall contains an original cupboard bearing the Churche's initials and crest.^[11] The entrance porch has a panelled ceiling with inlaid decoration and a moulded doorcase with an 18th century oak door.¹¹⁰ Other major rooms include, on the ground floor, a buttery, withdrawing room and kitchen and, on the first floor, a chapel and several bedrooms. The attic provided servants' accommodation.
The principal rooms on both ground and first floors feature oak panelling; that in one of the upper rear rooms is Elizabethan in date.¹ This room also features a fine carved overmantel with a woven love knot and central heart; the ground floor room to the right of the hall contains a further good example of a carved overmantel.¹¹¹ Several rooms have large open fireplaces, with a brick inglenook fireplace in the kitchen.¹⁰ The first floor hall features a coffin drop (a hole allowing the lowering of large items such as a coffin).¹⁰ An Elizabethan well was discovered during renovation work.⁵

References

1. Images of England: Churche's Mansion (accessed 5 August 2007)
2. Churche's Mansion (plaque)
3. 46 & 48 High St (plaque)
4. 41 High St (plaque)
5. Borough of Crewe & Nantwich: Nantwich Town Centre Walk (accessed 5 August 2007)
6. Churche's Mansion: Information & History (accessed 5 August 2007)
7. A Dabber's Nantwich: Churche's Mansion (accessed 5 August 2007)
8. Harris R. ''Discovering Timber-framed Buildings'', pp. 55–57 (Shire Publications, Princes Risborough; 2003) (ISBN 0-7478-0215-7)
9. Churche's Mansion: Exterior (accessed 5 August 2007)
10. Churche's Mansion: Interior (accessed 5 August 2007)
11. Bill Pearson: Churches Mansion, Nantwich, Cheshire (accessed 7 August 2007)

External link

★ Churche's Mansion website