Church of St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich

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The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin is a Grade I listed building in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, England, historically in the county of Lancashire. The tower was built by the newly-created Earl of Derby in the late 15th Century and completed around 1500, on the site of what is thought to have been an Anglo-Saxon place of worship. The main body of the church seems to have been built in the early 16th century. The present chancel was built in 1889, to a design by the architects, Paley and Austin of Lancaster. The stained glass is mostly victorian although the windows in the west wall near the north entrance are probably 18th century. The church possesses a peal of eight bells, in the key of F, weighing a little over 69cwt. During the 19th century the church was referred to as being dedicated to St Bartholomew. This is thought to be due to the unpopularity of St Mary at that time, or through ignorance, as St Bartholomew's day is close to when the church wakes were held. The church was originally the parish church of Prestwich-cum-Oldham, which covered an area of some 21,625 acres between Prestwich and Oldham and was later divided into 41 daughter parishes.^[1]

[edit] See also

• List of churches in Greater Manchester
• Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester

[edit] References

Coordinates: 53°31′45″N 2°17′11″W / 53.52917, -2.28639