The Church's Architecture
St Hildeburgh’s Parish Church is a Grade II listed building. It was first listed in 1986. It was designed by the Liverpool architect, Edmund Kirby and built between 1897 and 1899. It is constructed of red brick and terracotta with a tile roof.
Inside, there is a long nave lined by large polished granite pillars. On the north and south of the nave there are side aisles. At the west end of nave, there is a baptistry containing a carved stone font.
The east end of the nave ends in a large chancel and sanctuary, with carved choir stalls, organ case and stall. The flooring is marble. The sanctuary contains an ornately carved wooden reredos (the screen behind the altar) and a carved stone Sedalia (seating).
The nave and chancel roofs have impressive wooden scissor-braced roof beams on wall shafts and a cornice below a clerestory (small, high level windows).
To the south of the chancel there is a side chapel/Lady Chapel, with its own altar and carved, wooden screens. On the exterior of the south wall of the side chapel, there is a single large bell in an iron frame.
There are examples of stained glass throughout the church, mostly dating from the first half of the twentieth century. There are windows designed by James Powell and Sons of London (also known as "Whitefriars Glass"), Margaret Agnes Rope, William Aikman and J. Wilson Forster. In the south wall of the sanctuary, there is a window of 2009 depicting scenes of the Liverpool and Birkenhead waterfront by David Hillhouse.
Besides an exterior granite, First World War memorial in the church grounds, inside the church, there are a number of further war memorials, including the following:
Inside, there is a long nave lined by large polished granite pillars. On the north and south of the nave there are side aisles. At the west end of nave, there is a baptistry containing a carved stone font.
The east end of the nave ends in a large chancel and sanctuary, with carved choir stalls, organ case and stall. The flooring is marble. The sanctuary contains an ornately carved wooden reredos (the screen behind the altar) and a carved stone Sedalia (seating).
The nave and chancel roofs have impressive wooden scissor-braced roof beams on wall shafts and a cornice below a clerestory (small, high level windows).
To the south of the chancel there is a side chapel/Lady Chapel, with its own altar and carved, wooden screens. On the exterior of the south wall of the side chapel, there is a single large bell in an iron frame.
There are examples of stained glass throughout the church, mostly dating from the first half of the twentieth century. There are windows designed by James Powell and Sons of London (also known as "Whitefriars Glass"), Margaret Agnes Rope, William Aikman and J. Wilson Forster. In the south wall of the sanctuary, there is a window of 2009 depicting scenes of the Liverpool and Birkenhead waterfront by David Hillhouse.
Besides an exterior granite, First World War memorial in the church grounds, inside the church, there are a number of further war memorials, including the following:
- Two metal wall plaques recording the names of the Hoylake men who fell during the two world wars.
- A Roll of Honour, in the form of a hand written/calligraphy written book, recording the names of the Hoylake men who fell in the two world wars. (Housed in a glass-topped oak stand at the rear of the church).
- Two brass plaques, recording the names of members of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, who fell in the two world wars.
- Two carved, slate tablets, recording the names of the former pupils of the Leas School, Hoylake, who fell in the two world wars.
- A brass wall plaque, recording the names of members of Hoylake Presbyterian Church (Alderley Road, Hoylake) who fell in the First World War. (Installed in St Hildeburgh’s Church at the request of the Presbyterian Church upon its recent closure).
- A free-standing, carved oak table, recording the names of members of Hoylake Presbyterian Church, who fell in the Second World War. (Installed in St Hildeburgh’s Church at the request of the Presbyterian Church upon its recent closure).
- A metal wall plaque commemorating the battles fought in the Second World War by the 149th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. A regiment of local volunteers formed in 1939 and known locally as the “Hoylake Horse”.
- The impressive stained glass east window of the church is dedicated to the members of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club who fell in the First World War.
- A number of stained glass windows in the north and south aisles of the church and in the church’s side chapel, are dedicated to named Hoylake men who fell in the two world wars.
- A stained glass window in the side chapel commemorates former pupils of the Leas School, Hoylake, who fell in the First World War.
