St Mary's Church, Rostherne

St Mary’s Church stands between the village of Rostherne and Rostherne Mere in Cheshire. It is an active Anglican parish church, recorded on the National Heritage List as a Grade I building. The church belongs to the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Knutsford. Its parish is united with those of Holy Trinity in Little Bollington and St Paul’s in Over Tabley. The present tower was rebuilt between 1742 and 1744 by John Rowson after the old steeple collapsed in 1741. The chancel and north vestry were added in 1888 by Sir Arthur Blomfield. The church contains notable monuments and memorials. A recumbent effigy of a knight appears in the chancel, uncovered after the tower fell. A freestanding memorial by Richard Westmacott Jr commemorates Charlotte Lucy Beatrix Egerton, who drowned in the mere on the eve of her wedding in 1845. Wall monuments by John Bacon include one to Samuel Egerton from 1792 and another to Jonas Langford Brooke from 1784. The organ was built in 1906 by A. Young and reconstructed between 1970 and 1979 by Sixsmith. The church also has a ring of six bells, the oldest dating from 1630 and 1655. Outside, the churchyard holds a lych gate from 1640, considered the best example in Cheshire. A sundial from around 1730 and the Simpson tomb from about 1831 are both Grade II listed. Five war graves from the First World War are also in the churchyard. The church’s exterior mixes Perpendicular and Decorated styles, with a three-stage tower and dormer windows on the nave roof. The interior blends Gothic and classical elements, reflecting its long history and ongoing use.