St Oswald's Church, Winwick

St Oswald’s Church stands in the village of Winwick, Cheshire, beside the A573 road. Built mainly of sandstone, it has a west tower, six-bay nave with clerestory, north and south aisles, and a recessed spire. The Legh Chapel and Gerard Chapel flank the chancel, which was rebuilt by Pugin in the 19th century. A south porch of 1720 and a north vestry added in 1934 mark later changes. The churchyard holds special memorials for two Great War soldiers. The building records over nine centuries of history. A church is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, and early 13th-century arcades survive. Damage in 1648 followed Cromwell’s troops using the church after the Battle of Red Bank. Captain Edward Smith of the Titanic married here in 1887. The tower, spire and furnishings show work by Paley and Austin, Pugin, and local craftsmen. Inside, camber-beam oak roofs of 1711 cover nave and aisles, while the Legh Chapel has a 16th-century panelled roof. A brass of 1527 shows Sir Peter Legh in armour and vestments, the only English brass to combine knight and priest. The Gerard Chapel holds a damaged 15th-century font and a Saxon cross-arm from about 750. The chancel fittings were designed by Pugin, and a 1920 screen serves as a First World War memorial. Outside, a mile north, St Oswald’s Well preserves medieval stonework beneath a protective slab.