St Peter's Church, Prestbury

St Peter’s Church stands in the village of Prestbury, Cheshire, beside a churchyard that holds the remains of earlier buildings. The present church began as a chancel and nave built between 1220 and 1230, with a tower added around 1480. The Norman Chapel from the late 12th century remains in the churchyard, now used for church purposes after restorations in 1747 and 1953. The church’s long history is tied to powerful families like the Davenports, Piggots and Leghs, who shaped its growth over centuries. After the Dissolution, the Legh family became Lay Rectors and still hold the manor today. Major changes came in the 18th century when pews, a three-decker pulpit and a gallery were installed, later removed during Sir George Gilbert Scott’s 19th-century restoration. Inside, the nave has a Jacobean pulpit found inside a later three-decker pulpit and paintings of the twelve apostles above the pillars. The chancel contains a 1482 memorial slab, a two-tier chandelier from 1712 and stained glass including a 1915 east window. The tower’s ringers’ gallery from 1637 and the west door’s war memorial complete the interior. Outside, the 1715 lychgate, a 1672 sundial and yew trees dating from the Hundred Years’ War mark the churchyard.