Church of St Mary of the Angels, Hooton

The Church of St Mary of the Angels stands in Hooton, a village in Cheshire West and Chester. It is an active Roman Catholic parish church in the diocese of Shrewsbury. The building is listed at Grade II on the National Heritage List for England. Experts describe its design as individual rather than following a common pattern. The church was completed in the late 19th century after work began in 1878. The church was opened in 1879 by Edmund Knight, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury. Its architect was E. J. Torver, who created a structure of red sandstone. Inside, the nave leads to a chancel with a polygonal apse and a north chapel with its own apse. A vestry serves as a sacristy, and a bellcote sits on the roof ridge. The west porch holds panels showing the symbols of the Evangelists, while a rose window marks the west end. Visitors find stained glass by Mayer of Munich in the windows. The churchyard contains the war grave of a Royal Air Force officer from the First World War. The building’s layout includes a nave, chancel, chapel, and vestry, all arranged around a central space. The use of red sandstone gives the exterior a warm, earthy tone. The porch panels and rose window add decorative detail to the entrance and façade.