Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bowdon

The Church of St Mary the Virgin stands in Bowdon, a village near Altrincham in Greater Manchester. It is an active Anglican parish church built in pink and red Runcorn sandstone with a slate roof. The church has a west tower, a six-bay nave with clerestory, north and south aisles, transepts, and a chancel with an organ loft and vestry. The tower has four stages with diagonal buttresses, ornate clock faces, and castellated parapets. The church dates back to at least the 11th century, as noted in the Domesday Book. It was rebuilt between 1858 and 1860 by W. H. Brakspear, who retained the 16th-century roofs of the aisles. Inside, the nave roof is hammerbeam, while the aisle roofs are camber beam with elaborate carvings. Notable features include a 15th-century octagonal font, early 18th-century altar table, and Jacobean sanctuary chairs. The churchyard contains three Grade II listed structures, including a sundial post, a war memorial by Arthur Hennings, and piers with railings. The church also holds medieval tombs, including effigies of Sir William Baguley and the Brereton family monument. Stained glass by Kempe and Clutterbuck, a three-manual organ from 1875, and a ring of eight bells cast in 1964 are also present.