Building record 1638/1 - Church of St Mary

Church of St Mary,Red Lane.Began as chantry chapel which Sir Piers Legh of Lyme erected c.1510.His intention was to have 3 priests & 2 deacons, but he died before the chapel was endowed.In 1558 it was consecrated & made parochial.Of original masonry only tower remains (1).W tower & porch 1527- 1558,rest 1824-1835 with aisles of 1828.Coursed,buff sandstone rubble with sandstone dressings & lead roof.W porch & tower,nave & 2 aisles of 4 bays & 1 bay chancel.W tower of 4 stages with angle buttresses & castellated parapet. Porch originally on S of nave,also constellated with crocketted pinnacles. Aisles have buttresses dividing bays of 3-light windows.Clerestorey has 3- light lancet windows.Arcades of 4-bays on plain octagonal piers supporting 4-centred arches.Wooden galleries in arcades & behind tower.Oriignal early C16 wooden ceiling,over nave,has heavily moulded,slightly cambered tie beams with applied foilage & angels at centres,spring from moulded wooden corbels. Minor moulded members have flat floral bosses & at the ceiling's centre a ram's head.Aisle & clerestorey windows have panels of medieval continental glass.The original glass was moved to Lyme Park in 1835 (2).

<1> Richards R, 1947, Old Cheshire Churches, Richards R 1947 /143-145 (Book). SCH2309.

<2> Department of the Environment, 1971-2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, /7/40 (Report). SCH1934.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ98SE6/1964 (Index). SCH2487.