St Mary's Church, Sandbach facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Sandbach
St Mary's Church, Sandbach, from the south
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OS grid reference	SJ 759,608
Location	Sandbach, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Central
Website	St Mary's Church Sandbach
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	11 August 1950
Architect(s)	Sir George Gilbert Scott Austin and Paley
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Completed	1930
Specifications
Capacity	400
Materials	Red sandstone
Administration
Parish	Sandbach
Deanery	Congleton
Archdeaconry	Macclesfield
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St Mary's Church is a beautiful old church located in Sandbach, a town in Cheshire, England. It's a very important building, listed as Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a special building that needs to be protected because of its history and architecture. Today, it's an active Anglican parish church, which means it's a local church for the community.

History of St Mary's Church

Did you know there's been a church on this spot for a very long time? Records from the Domesday Book (around 1086) mention a priest and a church here. This first church was later replaced by another one built around the time of King Henry VII.

However, that church was made of sandstone that started to wear away badly over time. So, the church you see today was mostly rebuilt between 1847 and 1849. A famous architect named Sir George Gilbert Scott led this big project. He replaced much of the old church and covered the remaining parts with new stone.

The east end of the church was made longer, and the tower was rebuilt to look just like the old one. The stone for this work came from quarries near Mow Cop. Later, in 1930, another architectural firm, Austin and Paley, added a special room for the choir and a new entrance porch.

Architecture and Design

Outside the Church

St Mary's Church has a classic church design. It features a main area called a nave and a longer section called a choir, both with aisles (walkways on the sides). There are also smaller side chapels. At the west end, you'll find the church tower.

The tower is quite unique! It stands on three open arches, and a public footpath actually goes right through them. The church's style is mostly Perpendicular Gothic, which is a type of Gothic Revival design. You can still see some parts of the original medieval stone in the arcades (rows of arches).

Inside the Church

When you step inside, one of the interesting features is the font, which is used for baptisms. It was made in 1859 from a type of stone called Caen stone. It has a special Greek message carved on it that reads: "NIYON ANOMHMA MH MONAN OYINE". This translates to: "Wash my sin not my countenance only." It's a clever Palindrome because it reads the same forwards and backwards!

An older font, from 1669, was brought back to the church in 1938. It's shaped like an octagon and decorated with acanthus leaves. Around the walls of the aisles, you'll see many memorials. One beautiful marble relief (a type of sculpture) remembers Rev. John Armistead, who was the vicar from 1828 to 1865. It was designed by the famous artist G. F. Watts.

The church roofs are very old, dating back to 1661. The roof over the north aisle even has a large coat of arms carved into it. You can also admire the beautiful stained glass windows. Some were made by William Wailes and another by Kempe.

Church Bells

St Mary's Church has a set of eight bells that can be rung together. Four of these bells are very old, cast in 1719. Another bell from 1782 is also quite old. The other three bells were made later, between 1857 and 1868.

Churchyard Features

The walls, gates, and railings around the churchyard are also considered important historical features and are listed at Grade II. The churchyard is a peaceful place and includes war graves for fourteen service members. Eleven of these are from World War I and three are from World War II, honoring those who gave their lives.

Images for kids

• 

  St Mary's Church, Sandbach. Before restoration. Engraving. Circa 1800

• 

  St Mary's Church, Sandbach. From a postcard. Circa 1900

• 

  John Armitstead, Vicar of Sandbach 1828–1865 (1876 sculpture by George Frederic Watts inside St Mary's)

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Cheshire East
• Listed buildings in Sandbach