Listed Building: CHURCH OF ST MARY (1138849)

SJ 87 NW NETHER ALDERLEY C.P. CHURCH DRIVE 4/115 Church of St Mary 14/4/1967 GV I Church: C14 core, early C16 tower, early C17 additions, chancel of 1856 by Cuffley and Starkey, vestry dated 1860, general restoration 1877-8 by Austin and Paley. Ashlar buff and red sandstone. Kerridge stone-slate roof, 4-bay nave and aisles, 3-bay chancel, massive 4-stage tower and south porch. Porch has diagonal buttresses, crocketted pinnacles on the gable and a segmentally arched entrance. Studded oak door with iron strap hinges in pointed arch behind. South aisle has a 3-light window with trefoil cusped heads and the 2-storey exterior of the Stanley pew (approached by a flight of stone steps to the right) with rectangular windows of 5 round-headed lights. Clerestorey with simple 2-light windows. Chancel in Decorated style, the east window with reticulated tracery. North aisle has an inserted Jacobean dormer probably to light 3-decker pulpit. Tower has diagonal buttresses and bands at each stage. Pointed arched doorcase with Victorian Decorated west window. Simple 2-light window in 3rd stage and a pair of louvred 2-light Y-traceried bell openings above. Gorgoyles support an embattled parapet. Interior: 4-bay arcades on octagonal piers and with weakly pointed arches. South aisle contains the Stanley flying pew. Jacobean arcaded panelling to front with painted heraldry and a C18 Gothick hood. Inside is further panelling containing some medieval carving and a coved pyramidal Jacobean strapwork ceiling with a pendant. C18 musician's gallery has arms of Stanleys and other local landowners and now contains an organ of 1875. In chancel 2 Victorian recumbant effigies, the 1st Lord Stanley by Richard Westmacott jnr, the 2nd Lord Stanley by George Nelson with cosmatiesque work and a brass panel showing Lady Stanley and her 10 children. C14 font with plain circular bowl with carved head bosses on a cluster of 4 columns is very similar to Prestbury. Nave has a panelled barrel roof with cambered moulded tiebeams and the aisles have moulded panelled lean-to roofs (Pevsner and Hubbard). The flying pew is unique in Cheshire, and the similarity of the tower with that in Mobberley suggests it is also by Richard Platt. Listing NGR: SJ8416776144