Building record 1109/1/1 - Church of St Mary

<1> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 56225 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

Anglican Church. Fifteenth century, restored in 1847-49 by George Gilbert Scott, and signed above the west entrance. Sandstone, in many places casing the original masonry; repaired in 1894-5 following fire at the west end; choir vestry by Austin and Paley of 1930. Furnishings of various dates. Choir and nave of five bays, with aisles, side chapels and west tower; choir vestry projects from northwest. The base of the latter is open on three sides and spans a public footpath across the churchyard. Largely Perpendicular Gothic style, with authentically medieval masonry of thirteenth and fifteenth century to arcades, particularly on the south side. Interior furnishings of note include: Caen stone font, southwest corner of nave, 1859 by builder Thomas Stringer, with the Romanesque stone font opposite. Leversage Arms in panelled ceiling, north aisle, c.1587, choir stalls, pulpit and carved Jacobean altar. Excellent collection of monuments installed by Scott along the aisle walls. Of particular note is the marble relief of the Rev. John Armistead, M. A. Vicar from 1828-65, designed by G. F. Watts and sculpted by George Nelson in 1876. For a full account see John Minshull, 'A Short History and Description of St. Mary's Church Sandbach, Cheshire', rev. ed. 1990.

<2> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Turner R, 28/09/1990 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

It is reputed that when the fifteenth century church was demolished, traces of an even earlier structure were revealed. Domesday refers to a priest and a church in Sandbach and it seems likely that the present church occupies the Saxon site, which may have been a minster. The elevated site is characteristic of the Saxon period. The Earl of Chester retained control of the advowson until c.1230, when Earl Ranulph granted it to the Cistercian Abbey of Dieulacres in Staffordshire.

<4> Richards R, 1947, Old Cheshire Churches, p.290-3 (Book). SCH2309.

The existence of the Saxon crosses at Sandbach suggests that it possessed an early Christian church. The early ecclesiastic history of Sandbach is vague, but there was a chapel on the site of the present church in 1086, as recorded in the Domesday Book. From the mid-1250s the church was under the control of Dieulacres Abbey until it’s dissolution [in 1538]. The existing church, the work of Sir Gilbert Scott between 1847-9 replaced a church building built in the late fifteenth century. During the latter’s construction “remains of a still earlier edifice were discovered, which led those who saw them to be convinced that the site had been devoted to pious purposes from early Christian times”.

Gilbert Scott’s church attempts, in part, to imitate the fifteenth century building, and where elements of this church were retained, they were “encased”. He extended the east end of the church and the former chancel and side chapels became part of the new larger nave. The old font, dated 1669, now stands by the porch and serves as a flower bowl.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ76 SE 5 (Index). SCH2487.