St Mary's Church, Astbury

St Mary’s Church stands in the village of Newbold Astbury, a quiet settlement in Cheshire. The building is a Grade I listed Anglican parish church, recognised for its fine architecture and long history. Traces of an earlier church may date back to Saxon times, though the oldest surviving parts belong to the Norman period. The present shape was set in the 13th and 14th centuries, with later additions in the 15th and 19th centuries. During the Civil War, Roundhead soldiers used the nave as a stable for their horses. In the 1850s George Gilbert Scott uncovered medieval wall paintings and installed new stained glass. The church is notable for its unusually wide nave, wider even than that of Chester Cathedral. Its trapezoidal plan and detached tower make it stand apart from most village churches. The tower, built of millstone grit, still shows crisp carvings after five centuries. Inside, the nave has seven bays and is flanked by north and south aisles that extend into small chapels. The west porch rises three storeys high, its upper floor reached by a stairway built from old gravestones. Visitors enter through one of three porches and find a spacious interior of yellow sandstone ashlar. The nave roof was repaired in 1615 and still carries its original timbers. Medieval fittings remain, including a stone font and several memorials on the walls. The churchyard holds gravestones from the 17th century and a canopied tomb listed for its historic interest. The east window, with seven lights in Perpendicular style, fills the chancel with light.