Church of St Mary the Virgin, Wistaston

The Church of St Mary the Virgin is in the village of Wistaston, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Nantwich.

1. History

It is believed that there has been a church or chapel on or near the present site for nearly 700 years. The first record of a rector goes back to 1379. The first church on the site would have been a wooden building. The existing records start in 1572. In 1827 the decision was taken that "due to decay it [the church] was unsuitable for public worship". The present church was built in 1827–28 to a design by George Latham. The chancel was lengthened, and a transept was added in 1884. Further alterations were made in 1905.

1. Architecture


1. = Exterior =

The church is built in brick with a slate roof. Its plan consists of a west tower, a nave and a chancel. The architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner considered that the church is "entirely Georgian" in style and that this style was maintained in the 1884 additions.

1. = Interior =

The chancel has oak panelling with carvings of sunflowers. The reredos contains representations of the Agnus Dei and Alpha and Omega signs. The right hand chancel window is to a design of Burne-Jones and was made by Morris and Company. In the church is a parish chest dated 1684 and a number of wall memorials dating from the 19th century. The two-manual organ was built by Hill in 1884 and in 1890 it was moved from the west gallery to the south of the chancel. There is a ring of eight bells. Six of these were cast by Gillett & Johnston in 1920 and the other two in 1982 by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.

1. External features

The churchyard contains the war graves of three soldiers and an airman of World War I, and three soldiers of World War II. It also contains the local war memorial.

1. See also

Listed buildings in Wistaston

1. References

Nearby Places View Menu

Willaston, Cheshire East

Willaston is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in north-west England. It had a population of 3,104 at the time of the 2011 census, up from 2,973 in 2001. Willaston is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Nantwich town centre and 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of Crewe town centre. It is approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) from junction 16 of the M6 motorway and 3 miles (4.8 km) from Crewe railway station.

Landmark Neighbourhood

Wistaston

Wistaston is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, North West England. It is sited approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Crewe town centre and 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Nantwich. It has a population of 8,222, reducing to 8,117 at the 2011 Census.

Neighbourhood

Crewe and Nantwich (UK Parliament constituency)

Crewe and Nantwich is a constituency in Cheshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was created in 1983; since 2024 its Member of Parliament (MP) has been Connor Naismith of the Labour Party.

Government Landmark

Rope, Cheshire

Rope is a scattered settlement and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies immediately to the south of Crewe, with the centre of the parish being around 2¼ miles from the centre of Crewe. Nearby villages include Shavington, Willaston and Wistaston. The civil parish has a total population of just over 2150, reducing to 2,034 at the 2011 Census.

Neighbourhood