St Mary's Church, Cheadle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Cheadle
St Mary's Church, Cheadle, from the southeast
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OS grid reference	SJ 856 887
Location	High Street, Cheadle, Greater Manchester
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Conservative Evangelical
Website	St Mary's, Cheadle
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	24 March 1950
Architectural type	Church
Style	Perpendicular
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone, slate roof
Administration
Parish	Cheadle
Deanery	Cheadle
Archdeaconry	Macclesfield
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St Mary's Church in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England, is a very old and important building. It's a special church called a Grade I listed building, which means it's protected because of its history and architecture. It's a Church of England parish church, serving the local community in Cheadle.

History of St Mary's Church

A church has stood on this spot since at least the year 1200. However, the church you see today was mostly built between 1520 and 1550. The south chapel was finished in 1530, and the main part of the church, called the nave, was completed in 1541. The tall tower was built between 1520 and 1540.

The chancel, which is the area around the altar, was built between 1556 and 1558. This part was built for Lady Katheryn Bulkeley, who used to be the head of a place called Godstow Abbey. The south porch, which is an entrance area, has a date of 1634. This date shows when it was repaired, not when it was first built.

The church was rebuilt and repaired again between 1859 and 1862. More work was done by an architect named J. Medland Taylor from 1878 to 1880. In the 1900s, a cloakroom was added for visitors.

Church Design and Features

Outside the Church

St Mary's Church is built from grey sandstone and follows a style called Perpendicular Gothic. This style was popular in England during the late Middle Ages. The church has a tower in the middle at the west end. It also has a main area (nave) with a clerestory (a row of windows above the main roof). There is a south porch and aisles on both the north and south sides.

At the east end of each aisle, there is a small chapel. The chancel is wider than the nave, and there's a vestry (a room for clergy) to its north. The tower has three levels with strong supports called buttresses. It has a clock, openings for bells, and a castellated top, which looks like the top of a castle wall, with gargoyles. The roof of the nave also has this castellated design. The porch has decorative pinnacles and a doorway in the Tudor pattern.

Inside the Church

The church roof is made of camber beams and has beautiful gilded (gold-covered) bosses (decorative carvings). The screen that separates the chancel from the nave includes parts from an older screen. The choir stalls, where the choir sits, are from the 1800s and are carved with detailed scenes and poppyheads.

The sedilia (seats for clergy) are from 1862, and the pulpit (where sermons are given) is from the 1870s. Both chapels inside the church have carved screens. The lower parts of these screens are very old, dating back to the 1400s and 1500s. The font, used for baptisms, was made in 1837 by George Smith.

An interesting item on display is an 11th-century stone cross. It was found in 1874 when Barnes Hospital was being built nearby.

The chapel at the east end of the north aisle is called the Savage Chapel. It was built in 1529 by Sir John Savage and his wife Elizabeth. This chapel has the entrance to what used to be a rood loft, a high platform above the rood screen.

At the east end of the south aisle is the Brereton Chapel. This chapel contains three statues, called effigies. One is made of sandstone and represents Sir Thomas Brereton, who passed away in 1673. The screen around this chapel was put up by Sir Urian Brereton. The church also has brasses (engraved metal plates) from the 1600s and 1700s. There is also a special tablet from 1817 by John Bacon junior.

In a south aisle window, there is a small piece of very old glass showing the Stanley family's coat of arms. This piece was added to a window designed in 1917 by Christopher Whall. Another window on the south side of the church was designed in 1921 by Veronica Whall. Other windows in the chancel sides are from the 1860s by Charles Gibbs, and some are by Mayer of Munich.

The church's organ was built in 1881 by Hill and Son of London. The church has a ring of eight bells. Six of these bells were made by Abel Rudhall in 1749, and the other two were made by John Taylor and Company in 1882. The church's parish registers, which record births, marriages, and deaths, started in 1558.

Outside the Church Grounds

In the churchyard, you can find the base of a medieval cross shaft that has been turned into a sundial. There's also the base of another cross made of red sandstone from the 1300s or 1400s. This cross was restored in 1873 to become a memorial. You can also see the 18th-century chest tomb of the Crosier family. These items are all protected as Grade II listed buildings.

The lych gate, which is a covered entrance to the churchyard, was built in 1883 and is also a Grade II listed building. The churchyard also holds the war graves of three soldiers who died in World War I.

St Mary's Church Today

St Mary's Church was officially recognized as a Grade I listed building on March 24, 1950. This means it is considered a building of exceptional historical and architectural importance.

The church follows the conservative evangelical tradition within the Church of England. This means it has made decisions to not support the ordination of women as priests.

Notable Clergy Who Served Here

Many important religious leaders have served at St Mary's Church over the years:

• Donald Allister, who later became the Bishop of Peterborough, was the Rector here from 1989 to 2002.
• Leonard Ashton, who later became Chaplain-in-Chief of the RAF and a Bishop, served his early training here.
• Colin Buchanan, who later became a Principal and a Bishop, also served his early training here.
• Wallace Benn, who later became the Bishop of Lewes, served his early training here.
• Rob Munro, who became the Bishop of Ebbsfleet in December 2022, served at St Mary's for almost 20 years, from 2003 until January 2023.

See also

• Grade I listed churches in Greater Manchester
• Listed buildings in Cheadle and Gatley
• List of churches in Greater Manchester