St John the Evangelist
The ornate ceiling of St John the Evangelist church. Built in 1883 for the brewer and high sheriff of Cheshire Sir Gilbert Greenall, of Walton Hall. What makes this church and this ceiling particularly special is that it was built in a gothic revival design, but amended half a century later with unusually fashionable art deco fittings in 1934. Architects Troughton and Young added features such as seashell inspired fittings above the windows and this a circular light with star under the tower vault. St John’s was where the Greenalls worshipped as well as their estate workers, however the church also cared for the navvies who worked on the Manchester Ship Canal living in Acton Grange as can be evidenced by the graves of many who worked there in 1880-1890. When the estate diminished the parish soon after became part of the borough of Warrington and the church became Walton's central place of worship.