St John the Evangelist's Church, Alvanley

St John the Evangelist’s stands at the heart of Alvanley, a small village in Cheshire. The church was built in 1860 to designs by J. S. Crowther, paid for by Catherine Emma Arden. It is made of red sandstone with grey slate roofs in early Decorated style. The nave has north and south aisles under separate roofs, and the chancel has a north vestry. A corbelled belfry at the west end holds two bells beneath a small steeple. The building is recognised as a Grade II listed structure and praised for its character. Inside, circular piers carry the arcades and early 20th-century stained glass is likely by Shrigley and Hunt. A wooden board lists curates since 1677 and vicars since 1861. Outside, the churchyard contains two Grade II tombs and war graves of a British and a Canadian soldier from the First World War. Visitors find a quiet churchyard with simple paths and mature trees. The exterior shows ornate cross finials on the gables and windows with Geometric or Y-tracery. Inside, the light falls through stained glass onto the circular piers and wooden boards. The setting remains rural, with Alvanley’s lanes leading to open countryside.