And among the fascinating items on display at St Oswald's in Winwick will be its connection to the world famous ship, the Titanic.

The event will be opened at 11am on Saturday, September 9, by the Bishop of Warrington, the Rt Rev Beverley Mason. She will be greeted by children from St Oswald’s CE Primary School and 1st Brownies group Winwick and will unveil a tableau of art work created by them of paintings and drawings of the church. 

In a more 'modern' phase of its long history the church on January, 13 1887, the church was the setting for the wedding of Sarah Eleanor Pennington, the daughter of a farming family of Woodhead Farm, Winwick, to Edward John Smith, the then future captain of the Titanic. A copy of the couple’s marriage certificate and photographs will be on display in the church in addition to an exhibition by the British Titanic Society.

Caroline Heaven and Jean Legg, members of the society, will be present during the weekend to talk to visitors about the items of interest on display from the Titanic some of which have not been seen by the public. Other exhibitions will include a display from the White Star Line. James Balme, You tube presenter/producer and history columnist, Cheshire Life magazine, will be displaying his extensive private collection of ancient ecclesiastical artefacts. In addition, there will be a small ancient collection of local archaeological finds.

John Watkin, St, Oswald’s churchwarden, said: "The existence of the church was first recorded in the Domesday book in 1086.

"The 1,000 years old Anglo Saxon cross head you will see on display in the Gerard chapel would have stood on the original site when the church was a wooden building. It is carved with the images of King Oswald, an Anglo Saxon warrior king, who fought to bring Christianity to the country and was venerated as a saint after his death in AD641 when he was killed in battle."

The Church treasures reflect the Norman and Tudor eras of the country’s history and the days of the Civil war. During the Battle of Winwick, which was fought nearby in 1648 when several thousand troops were killed, the church was used both as a prison for the defeated Royalists and a shelter for the Parliamentary troops led by Cromwell. Its present bell tower and spire were built in 1358 and the Legh family of Lyme Hall added a dedicated chapel. There are the family tombs of Knights of the Realm dating back to the 14th and 15th century. The chancel was designed by the famous architect Pugin.

John added: “There will be so much to see. We are very much looking forward to the event and to giving visitors a warm welcome.”

The church will open on Saturday, September9 from 11am to 4pm and Sunday, September 10 from noon to 4pm. Admission is free.

From Warrington Guardian 24/08/2023