St Laurence's Church, Frodsham

Domesday Book records the presence of a church with a priest in this position. In 1093 the tithes were given by Hugh Lupus to the abbot of St Werburgh's Abbey, Chester. In the 1270s they passed to the monastery of Vale Royal when it was founded by Edward I. Following the dissolution of the monasteries the tithes and advowson passed to the dean and chapter of Christ Church, Oxford. Frodsham is one of the ancient parishes of Cheshire and included the villages of Kingsley, Norley, Manley, Alvanley and Helsby. In the 19th century some of these villages formed separate parishes, Norley in 1836, Kingsley in 1851, Alvanley in 1861 and Helsby in 1875. The structure of the present church dates from…

The interior of the nave is considered to be one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in Cheshire. An altar table dated 1678 and the parish chest of 1679 were both made by Robert Harper. Most of the church plate was donated around 1760 by the vicar at that time, Rev. Francis Gastrell. There is a ring of eight bells, six of which were cast by Rudhall of Gloucester in 1734. The other two bells date from 1911 and are by John Taylor and Company. The parish registers begin in 1558, with a break between 1642 and 1661, and the churchwardens' accounts date from 1609.