Church of St Mary the Virgin, Wistaston

The Church of St Mary the Virgin stands in the village of Wistaston, Cheshire. It is a Grade II listed building and an active Anglican parish church. The church belongs to the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Nantwich. A place of worship has existed on or near the site for nearly 700 years. The first rector was recorded in 1379. The present building was constructed in 1827–28 to a design by George Latham. The church’s exterior is built in brick with a slate roof and features a west tower, a nave and a chancel. Nikolaus Pevsner described the church as “entirely Georgian” in style. The chancel was lengthened and a transept added in 1884. Further alterations were made in 1905. Inside, the chancel has oak panelling with sunflower carvings. The reredos displays the Agnus Dei and Alpha and Omega signs. A window designed by Burne-Jones and made by Morris and Company is on the right side of the chancel. The churchyard holds war graves from the First and Second World Wars. It also contains the local war memorial. The church has a two-manual organ built by Hill in 1884. Six of the eight bells were cast by Gillett & Johnston in 1920, with the remaining two made by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1982. A parish chest dated 1684 and several 19th-century wall memorials are also inside.