St. Mary's Church

The Grade I listed building St. Mary's Church is located in the centre of Nantwich and has been described as "one of the great architectural treasures of Cheshire" by architectural writer Raymond Richards.

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The first building on the St. Mary's site was a chapel of ease in the parish of Acton.

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Construction of the building we know today began around 1340. Unfortunately, the build was interrupted by the chaos of the Black Death (1346-1353); so it's fair to say that St. Mary's has witnessed a fair number of pandemics! The church and its octagonal tower were constructed with red sandstone. The build was not completed for over one hundred years.

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A number of architectural changes have since been made, including a 19th century renovation by the prolific English Gothic Revival architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott.

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St. Mary's Church is well worth a visit, particularly at Christmastime when the tree is on show and fully illuminated with hundreds of fairy lights. Speaking of Christmas, we must mention the Nantwich Tree of Light which stood opposite St. Mary's until a late-2021 storm uprooted it. The tree offered a beautiful way to remember lost loved ones and honour special causes - a heartwarming sight around the festive celebrations. The branches would be covered with lights, illuminating many heart-shaped baubles holding personal messages.*

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*Christmas 2022 saw the Tree of Light relocated from the lawn outside the Parish Hall to the consecrated burial ground between Church Walk and Church Lane.