St Mary's Church, Whitewell

Heritage listing

Reason for designation: Listed for its special architectural interest as a well-preserved parish church built under the patronage of the local gentry, just pre-dating the ecclesiological revival of the C19 and retaining its original character and interior detail. History: A chapel-of-ease at Whitewell, in the parish of Malpas (Cheshire), is first recorded in 1570. The present church was built in 1830. Its patron was Miss Marianne Congreve of Iscoyd Park. Later alterations have been minor. Some stone-traceried windows were possibly inserted in 1872, by R. Dodson of Shrewsbury. The spire and clock were added in 1898 (date on plaque inside nave). Exterior: Early C19 Gothic style cruciform church with longer N transept and a W tower, of whitened brick with buttresses and dentil eaves course, and slate roof. Windows are mostly 2-light with wood-framed Y-tracery. The 3-stage tower has diagonal buttresses in the lower 2 stages. Its pointed W doorway has a continuous moulding and double boarded doors. On the N side is a small window. In the middle stage is a 2-light W window and a clock to the S face. A raised band is below the shorter bell stage, which has pointed bell openings with louvres, and a steep pyramidal shingled roof on deep projecting eaves. The nave has 2 windows, and the S transept a 3-light S window with intersecting stone tracery and hood mould with foliage stops. In the 2-bay chancel a window in the L-hand bay is above a lean-to boiler room against the E wall of the S transept and beneath a corrugated iron roof. The R-hand bay of the chancel has been rebuilt. The chancel has a 3-light E window with intersecting stone tracery. On the N side is an outshut vestry built against the E wall of the N transept, which has a studded E door and N window with leaded glazin

From Cadw under OGL v3.