St Mary's Church

St Mary’s Church stands in the quiet hamlet of Bruera, between Saighton and Aldford in rural Cheshire. Built mainly of red sandstone under a slate roof, it has a simple nave and chancel with a south porch, chapel and vestry. A low oak belfry with shingled spire rises at the west end. The oldest parts date from the Norman period, though the south doorway was rebuilt in the 14th century. Inside, the chancel arch remains essentially Norman, while later windows and the south chapel show 14th- and 15th-century styles.

The church is worth visiting for its layered history and fine furnishings. Its first mention comes from about 1150 in the records of St Werburgh’s Abbey, Chester. A major restoration in 1896 was paid for by the 1st Duke of Westminster and carried out by W. M. Boden. The Arts and Crafts stained glass of 1897 and the 18th-century altar table add to its interest. Wall memorials by Joseph Nollekens commemorate the Cunliffe family of the 18th century.

Inside, visitors find the sanctuary chairs in Jacobean style and a 17th-century font with a hollowed trough. The south chapel holds putti-topped monuments to Sir Robert and Sir Ellis Cunliffe. Outside, ancient yews and a sundial made from a 17th-century cross mark the churchyard. War graves of a soldier and an airman from the Second World War lie among the headstones.