St Michael's Church, Macclesfield

St Michael’s Church stands on the edge of Market Place in Macclesfield, Cheshire. Its stone tower rises above the town’s shops and houses, marking the spot where a chapel first appeared in the 13th century. The present building is mainly the work of the late 19th-century rebuilding by Arthur Blomfield, though parts of the older chancel and two family chapels survive. The Legh Chapel dates from the 15th century and the larger Savage Chapel from the early 16th. Together they form a Grade II* listed building, recognised for its historical importance. The church is worth visiting for its fine collection of alabaster tombs and memorials. These include some of the best-preserved effigies in Cheshire, many carved for members of the Savage and Legh families. The Pardon Brass in the Savage Chapel once promised an indulgence of 26,000 years and 26 days for a short prayer. The church also holds stained glass by Powells, Kempe, and Morris & Co., and a two-manual organ rebuilt by Percy Daniel and Company. Inside, the nave leads past the 1744 font and the 1876 pulpit with carved apostles. The reredos behind the altar was designed by Sir Charles Nicholson in 1946, while the Gothic-style reredos behind it dates from 1820. The Savage Chapel contains the tomb of Sir John Savage, a commander at Bosworth Field, and his son who served as Sheriff of Worcestershire. Outside, the churchyard holds an 18th-century sundial and Grade II walls and gates.