I found myself back up north this week-end with a quick trip to Wales thrown in for good measure. It wasn’t meant to be a trip for exploring, but I still managed to get to explore two churches, one abbey and a castle, with a quick look at another castle for next time, as we had finally ran out of time.
Saturdays church was St Mary’s in Astbury in Cheshire, I was so looking forward to visiting, not thinking for one moment it would be locked, but it was, I should have know better. There is no sign with a key holders name on it…..for this one I would have hunted down the key and asked nicely for it.
Up the steps and through the gateway takes you up to one of the finest churches in Cheshire.
The steeple is quite unusual as it is standing apart from the main body of the church and is connected by a passage way with a porch. We are use to the towers being built away from the churches in the Fens, as some of the land is not stable enough to take the great weight of both of them combined.
As to the date of the church….they have found fragments of stone with Saxon decorations, coffins lids and the lower stages of a cross, dating from before the Norman conquest. This suggest there could have been a Saxon church. The yellow sandstone chancel is of Norman origins, whilst most of the rest of the building is 14th to 15th century, leaving the millstone grit tower being constructed towards the end of the 13th century.
The interior is apparently magnificent….which makes it even worse. This is a big church and it reminds me of the large churches we have in the Fens, not the ones in Norfolk, they are a little smaller, but the big sailing ships, as I call them, that you can see across the open spaces of the Fens. This church would not look out of place amongst them. But it sits up high overlooking a very picturesque English village and you do wonder at the size of the church compared to the village.
The Roundheads caused a great deal of damage to the interior, stabling their horses inside during the Civil War. The stained glass windows were smashed, but the vicar at the time saved the fragments and they were reassembled at a later date.
Walking around the church you cannot help but notice the wonderful gargoyles, they are all so expressive.
There is also a wonderful canopied tomb in the churchyard, but thats for the next post about St Mary’s.
Echoes of the Past 
Beautiful. I’m sorry the church was locked. Are most of the churches you photograph part of the Church of England??
Thank you, I just thought that being in a lovely place it had no reason to be locked, but never mind 🙂
I love all churches and will photograph any church of any denomination, its just that the Church of England do have the nicest. There is one Church of England church I have yet to put on has still got Catholic roots in the way they preform their services and the way the church is decorated. But then if Oliver Cromwell had not stripped out a lot of the churches they would be the same, with painted walls instead of being white washed over etc Our old churches have changed from one religion to another through out our history and we are just very lucky that we still have them 🙂
That looks magnificent, such a shame you couldn’t get in. I love the tower and the gate is quite something too. And the gargoyles are stunning. I love gargoyles. You know one day we are going to run into each other on one of our little road trips 🙂 Great pictures 🙂
Maybe I will get to see it at some point, not too far from the in-laws. The gargoyles are some of the best I have seen and I have some more to post. Glad you like the photos. I really hope we do cross paths one day, its bound to happen with the amount of churches we visit between us 🙂
Wow, how beautiful – and how frustrating for you! I love your comparison of the Fen churches to sailing ships. The Roundheads have a lot to answer for, in my opinion! I am glad some of the history has been preserved.
It was frustrating, as a little church down the road was open and is open e very day, but this one nothing, no phone number, but never mind the exterior is rather special 🙂
I love those gargoyles!
Glad you like them, lots more to come 🙂