Building record 179/1/1 - Church of St Mary

<1> Pevsner N & Hubbard E, 1971, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, p.285-7 (Book). SCH3078.

Nantwich was a Chapel of Ease to Acton Church until C17, but St Mary's is a large and ornate church. Mainly C14, earlier than most surviving Cheshire churches. Primarily in Decorated style with some abrupt changes to Perpendicular in places suggest present building constructed between c.1340-1400. The south transept may be an addition following an endowment of a chantry in 1405. Porch is also a Perpendicular addition with a fine lierne vault. Special features of the interior are the late C14 choir stalls, 20 seats of which have miserichords. Good stone & C17 wooden pulpits, some C14 stained glass

<2> Hall J, 1883, A History of the Town and Parish of Nantwich or Wich-Malbank in the County Palatine of Chester, p.272-334 (Book). SCH80.

The Church at Acton and the Chapel of Wich Malbank were granted to the Abbey of Combermere in 1130, the earliest reference to the chapel. Archaeological work has been undertaken at St Mary's Church. During restoration in 1854, Scott noticed some remains of C13 near the west door, leading him to restore the door in that style.

<3> Richards R, 1947, Old Cheshire Churches, p.248-54 (Book). SCH2309.

The church is cruciform in plan with an octagonal crossing tower, suggesting it was collegiate, but this is not true

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, Waggott T, 1964, SJ65SE11 (Index). SCH2487.

<5> Department of the Environment, 1971-2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Report). SCH1934.

<6> Wilson D, 1977, St. Mary's Churchyard, Nantwich. SJ 653524: Excavation Against the South Wall. 1977 (Unpublished Report). SCH9649.

Short report on excavation of the remains of a stair turret exposed between the wall of the south aisle and first buttress on south transept. The turret, which was probably octagonal, but only the bases of one complete side and two partial sides were exposed, the latter running under thw south aisle wall and south transept wall respectively. The length of the complete side was 1.35m. The wall of the base was faced with a course of chamfered sandstone blocks on a course of ashlar. The two lowest steps of the staricase and the bottom of the newel were in situ and the space between the steps and the wasll was filled with stone and mortar. The turret clearly pre-dates the present church, with part of the ashlar and chamfered stone base incorporated into the foundations of the South Transept.

A few sherds of fourteenth and fifteenth century pottery were found at the level of the rubble foundation of the turret. However, these layers of the excavation area had been much disturbed by two medieval burials, which were incomplete and lying in wet sandy soil just above the water table. A clearly defined layer above the medieval burials contained sherds of Staffordshire mottled ware, feathered ware and slipware, indicating that during the early eighteenth century the level of this part of the churchyard was raised in order to accommodate a new series of burials overlying the medieval ones. This layer contained six skeletons, all articulated but only one complete. Two were laid on the turret base. Coffin nails were present but the coffins themselves were just visible as outline stains. One of the eighteenth century burials contained two skeletons in one coffin, the uppermost laid face down; they are thought to be the remains of Richard Moreton and his son William buried in 1726 in the same coffin. A substantial post-socket on the west side of the turret base potentially marks a later external entrance to the turret.

<7> Williams B, 1981, Nantwich - Archaeological Implications Survey, SCH2236a; SCH2236g, p.2 (Paper Archive). SCH2236.

Note of excavation of 1977 by D.Wilson (see source 6).

<8> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, Issue 10, p.55-63, Williams S R, 1985 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

lteratons to the floor are recorded in 1614 & 1854 (source 2) but further work in the nave & aisles in 1983 was subject of watching brief. Because of previous disturbance, no stratification below floor. Evidence for reburial,good medieval cross shaft & 5 lead coffins found. C14 floor 36cms below existing floor. Details of pier foundations recorded

<9> Pritchard R E, ?, Saint Mary's Parish Church, Nantwich (Booklet-Leaflet). SCH2988.

<10> Everson P, 1994, St Mary's Church, Nantwich: Fabric Recording in South Transept between 4 May and 9 June 1993 (Unpublished Report). SCH2983.

Removal of organ from NE corner of south transept in spring 1993 revealed an unusual 'cross shaft' feature in wall, 5-6m above floor level. Feature looks like a pre-Conquest cross shaft but is infact made up of two broken 13th/14th century grave covers. The stones have been deliberately trimmed and set upright in a prominent location. Inserted into a 14th century wall but otherwise undated. (see also sources 11 and 12)

<11> Cheshire County Council, 1992-1995, Cheshire Past, Issue 4, 1995, p.16-17, P.Everson, 'An unusual feature in St Mary's Church, Nantwich' (Newsletter). SCH870.

<12> Everson P, 1993, Not a Saxon cross shaft? But an interesting historic witness (Unpublished Report). SCH7377.

Note on the find of a large, red sandstone stone (c.1.5m by 0.5m) set into the inside east wall of the south transept at St. Mary's Church, following the removal of the church organ for cleaning. The stone appears to be a grave cover which has been trimmed and is possibly of 13th century date. There are two other practically complete grave covers of similar date preserved in the north transept.

<13> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 2000, Improvements to the Heating System at St Mary's Church, Nantwich, Cheshire: Archaeological Assessment, R2328 (Client Report). SCH3927.

An archaeological watching brief carried out during ground disturbance associated with improvements to the heating system at St Mary's Church, Nantwich. An earlier foundation wall, most probably dating to the medieval period, was partially revealed beneath the existing chancel doorway. Two articulated burials, one of possible medieval date, were also observed quite close to the modern surface. Fragments of medieval floor tile and one sherd of medieval pottery, together with some post medieval material, were also recovered.

<14> Francis Blacklay, 1998, The Church of Saint Mary, Nantwich: A History to the Dissolution of the Monasteries, 1536 (Booklet-Leaflet). SCH9651.

<15> 1977, Excavations in 1977 at St Mary's Church, Nantwich: Paper Archive for Pottery Finds (Excavation Archive). SCH9654.

Paper archive for pottery finds from 1977 excavations.

<16> Cornerstone Archaeology, 2016, Summary report. An archaeological Watching Brief for the installation of welfare facilities at St Marys Church, Nantwich, R3861 (Client Report). SCH7993.

Watching brief (2015/16) during excavation of new drainage run and pumping station within the former cemetery at St Mary's Church, Nantwich. A large number of disarticulated skeletal remains were recovered during the linear trench excavations. However, as the new trench respected the course of an earlier service cut containing a large ceramic pipe no further articulated burials were disturbed. At the southern terminus of the trench excavation, immediately south-west of the south transept entrance, two slightly damaged but largely undisturbed wooden coffins containing skeletons were observed resting on a tightly spaced line of thick parallel timbers (recorded separately as CHER 179/1/6) at a depth of c.1.20 metres below the current ground surface. As these coffins both rested on the same timbers and appeared to have been interred at the same time it is likely that they represent the last phase of burials carried out wholesale in the churchyard during the cholera epidemic of c.1849.

<17> Nantwich Town Council, 1977, Walkabout tour of Nantwich, p.2-4 (Booklet-Leaflet). SCH7371.

The crossing and square of the present church building are part of the building which was appropriated to the Abbey of Combermere in 1133 AD. An unusual feature of the church is the number of representations of 'The Green Man'. In the 14th century, the nave and chancel and the lady chapel were built and the octagonal steeple was added. Some of the 14th century glass still exists in the north window of the vestry, the south window of the chancel and two other windows. The chancel has a lierne vault in which the bosses depict scenes from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the vault is thought to be unique but similar to one in Canterbury Cathedral.