St Mary's Church, Nether Alderley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

St Mary's Church, Nether Alderley

St Mary's Church before the chancel was rebuilt in 1856
St Mary's Church, Nether Alderley (Cheshire)
St Mary's Church, Nether Alderley
Shown within Cheshire
Basic information
Location Nether Alderley, Cheshire, England
Geographic coordinates 53°16′55″N 2°14′11″W / 53.2818, -2.2363Coordinates: 53°16′55″N 2°14′11″W / 53.2818, -2.2363
Religious affiliation Anglican
District Diocese of Chester
Ecclesiastical status Parish church
Website St Mary's Church
Architectural description
Architect(s) Cuffley and Starkey
Paley and Austin
Architectural type Church
Architectural style Gothic
Specifications
Materials Buff and red sandstone
Kerridge stone slate roof

St Mary's Church, Nether Alderley lies at the end of a quiet lane to the south of the village of Nether Alderley, Cheshire, England (grid reference SJ842761). It is a Grade I listed building.[1] The church dates from the 14th century with later additions and restorations. Its features include a 14th century font, the two-storey Stanley pew which is entered by an outside staircase, the western gallery and monuments to the Lords Stanley. In the churchyard are a 17th century former schoolhouse, a medieval church cross and the Stanley Mausoleum. Clifton-Taylor includes it in his list of 'best' English parish churches.[2] It continues to be active as a parish church.[3]

Contents

[edit] History

The body of the church was built in the 14th century and in the 15th century a clerestory was added. The tower was built in 1530 and the Stanley pew was added around 1600.[3] The chancel was rebuilt in 1856 by Cuffley and Starkey[4] and the vestry was constructed in 1860.[3] The church was restored in 1877–78 by Paley and Austin.[1] The Stanley pew was restored in 2000.[5]

[edit] Structure

The church is built of ashlar buff and red sandstone and the roof is of Kerridge stone slates.[1] The sandstone was quarried locally at Alderley Edge.[3] The plan consists of a tower at the west end, a four-bay nave with north and south aisles, a chancel with a vestry to its north and a south porch. Over the north aisle is a dormer window.[4] The tower has diagonal buttresses. Its west door has 14th century mouldings and above the door is a three-light window. The stage above this contains ringers' windows on the north and west faces and a diamond-shaped clock on the south face. Above these the belfry windows on all faces have two lights. The top of the tower is embattled and contains the bases of eight pinnacles. Below the parapet is a string course with large grotesque gargoyles. At the west end of the nave roof is a bell-cot. To the east of the south porch projects the two-storey Stanley pew. In the porch are grooves which were cut where arrows were sharpened.[6]

[edit] Fittings and furniture

At the 1877–78 restoration the plaster ceilings were removed from the nave and aisle roofs. The nave roof is barrel-shaped and dates possibly from the early 16th century. At the east end of the south aisle is the two-storey Stanley pew dating from the early 17th century. It is entered by a flight of steps from the outside of the church. The front of the pew is richly carved and there are six panels with coats of arms. Richards states that it is one of the finest of its kind in the country and that it is unique in Cheshire.[6] At the west end of the church is a late 18th century musicians' gallery whose front panel has painted coats of arms. The gallery contains the organ which was presented by Lady Stanley in 1875. In the tower is an oak document chest dated 1686. The font is from the 14th century. It was buried in the churchyard during the Commonwealth, dug up in 1821 and restored to use in the church in 1924. Richards considers it to be one of the finest examples of 14th century work in Cheshire.[6]

In the chancel are memorials to the Lords Stanley of Alderley. The memorial to John Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley contains his effigy dressed in peer's robes lying under a canopy with his hand on a book.[6] The memorial is dated 1856 and is by Richard Westmacott.[7] On the other side of the chancel is the altar tomb of his son Edward Stanley, his effigy holding a scroll in his hand and with a dog at his feet. Engraved in brass on the side of the tomb are the figures of his widow and children. Lady Stanley is seated in the middle with their four surviving sons on her right, five surviving daughters on her left and three children who had died at a young age at her knee and on her lap.[6] A memorial tablet to John Constantine Stanley who died in 1878 is by Joseph Boehm.[7] Also in the church is a monument to Rev. Edward Shipton who died in 1630.[4] The stained glass in the east window dated 1856 is by William Wailes and in another window is glass by William Morris.[7] The ring consists of six bells, four of which are dated 1787. The church plate includes a silver paten dated 1714 and a flagon dated 1753. The parish registers begin in 1629 and the churchwardens' accounts in 1612.[6]

[edit] External features

The Stanley Mausoleum
The Stanley Mausoleum

In the churchyard is a sandstone schoolhouse dated 1628 which is now used as a parish hall. It is listed Grade II*.[8] Also in the churchyard are a medieval church cross[9] and the Stanley Mausoleum which is dated 1908.[10] Both of these structures are listed Grade II. Also listed Grade II are the churchyard walls, gate piers and gates.[11]




[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Images of England: Church of St Mary, Nether Alderley. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-08-05.
  2. ^ Clifton-Taylor, Alec (1974). English Parish Churches as Work of Art. London: Batsford, 240. ISBN 0 7134 2776 0. 
  3. ^ a b c d St Mary, Alderley. St Mary's Church, Nether Alderley. Retrieved on 2007-08-05.
  4. ^ a b c Salter, Mark (1995). The Old Parish Churches of Cheshire. Malvern: Folly Publications, 58–59. ISBN 1871731232. 
  5. ^ Thornber, Craig (2005). A Scrapbook of Cheshire Antiquities: Nether Alderley. Retrieved on 2007-08-05.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Richards, Raymond (1947). Old Cheshire Churches. London: Batsford, 18–22. 
  7. ^ a b c Pevsner, Nikolaus; Edward Hubbard [1971] (2003). The Buildings of England: Cheshire. New Haven: Yale University Press, 291–292. ISBN 0 300 09588 0. 
  8. ^ Images of England: Church Hall. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
  9. ^ Images of England: Churchyard cross. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
  10. ^ Images of England: Stanley Mausoleum. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
  11. ^ Images of England: Churchyard walls, gate piers and gates. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-10-23.