St. Bartholomew's Church, Thurstaston

St Bartholomew’s Church stands in the village of Thurstaston on the Wirral peninsula, its red-sandstone walls rising beside quiet lanes. The present building dates from 1886 and was designed by J. Loughborough Pearson, though the tower of an earlier 1824 church survives nearby. A lychgate of 1900, paid for by Thomas Henry Ismay, marks the main entrance. The churchyard holds a 17th-century font and the war graves of four servicemen. Close by is the tomb of Ismay, founder of the White Star Line, designed by Richard Norman Shaw. The church is recognised nationally as a Grade II* listed building. Its interior is praised for growing richer as visitors move eastwards, with alabaster reredos, a carved pulpit and an octagonal font of Mexican onyx. The organ case, dated 1905, was designed by Norman Shaw and painted by Robert Christie. Six bells hang in the tower, five from 1886 and one from 2002, all cast by John Taylor & Co. Stained glass by Clayton and Bell and the arms of Queen Anne above the door add further interest. Outside, the 1824 tower stands three-storeyed with an embattled parapet. A stone sundial of 1844 and an ancient child’s coffin lid lie in the churchyard. The peaceful setting, framed by mature trees, offers a place for quiet reflection beside the old and new structures.