Church in Cheshire, England
St Mary's Church stands in an isolated position to the south of the village of Tilston, Cheshire , England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building .[ 1] It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester , the archdeaconry of Chester , and the deanery of Malpas. Its benefice is combined with that of St Edith, Shocklach .[ 2]
An earlier church stood on the site of the present church and there is a list of rectors dating from 1301. The oldest part of the present church is the tower which dates from the 15th century.[ 3] The chapel on the north side is dated 1659 and is known as the Leche Chapel,[ 1] or the Stretton Hall Chapel.[ 4] Most of the rest of the church, including the chancel , vestry and nave roof, was rebuilt by John Douglas between 1877 and 1879.[ 1]
The church is built in red sandstone with a steeply pitched tile roof.[ 1] At the west end is the three-stage embattled tower. This has corner buttresses , a west doorway, a west window of three lights, belfry windows of three lights on all sides and ringers' windows, the one on the west face being placed north of the centre. The west door has a Tudor head. The tower leads into the nave through a fine arch. The original Elizabethan roof was dismantled in the 19th-century rebuild, and some of the timbers were used in the chancel roof.[ 3] The south door has been blocked off, and entry is through the north porch.[ 4] In the north porch is part of a curved beam taken from a gallery which was dismantled in 1879, and which bears the arms of Peter and Ann Warburton.[ 3] The beam is dated 1618.[ 1]
The altar rails are dated 1677, and the holy table is from the same period. The octagonal pulpit is early Georgian in style, and it stands on a stone base from a later period.[ 3] Most of the glass dates from the 19th century, but some painted medieval glass remains.[ 3] [ 5] There were originally a ring of 4 bells cast in 1672 and 1678, these were recast and augmented to 6 bells ring , cast in 1924 and installed in 1925 by John Taylor and Company .[ 6] The parish registers date from 1558 but are incomplete. The churchwardens ' accounts are from 1688.[ 3]
The clock installed in the tower is dated 1750 and bears a makers mark of "Joseph Smith Chester Fecit" together with the names John Barker and John Jones Churchwardens (See photograph)
St Mary's Church Clock, Makers Plate
In the churchyard is a sundial with an octagonal shaft on the base of an ancient cross. The head is elaborately shaped.[ 3] The gates, gate piers and churchyard wall to the west of the church are listed at Grade II.[ 7] On the west side of the gate piers is the date 1687 and the initials "LP" and "LL". On the south side of the posts there are skull and crossbones symbols and on the east side is the inscription Memento Mori .[ 4] The churchyard also contains the war graves of a soldier of World War I , and another of World War II .[ 8]
^ a b c d e Historic England , "Church of St Mary, Tilston (1129940)" , National Heritage List for England , retrieved 14 September 2012
^ Tilston, St Mary , Church of England , retrieved 15 October 2009
^ a b c d e f g Richards, Raymond (1947), Old Cheshire Churches , London: B. T Batsford, pp. 330–332, OCLC 719918
^ a b c Thornber, Craig (2002), A Scrapbook of Cheshire Antiquities: Tilston , retrieved 1 September 2007
^ Tilston, St Mary , Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi (CVMA) of Great Britain, retrieved 2 January 2011
^ Tilston S Mary , Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers , retrieved 10 May 2021
^ Historic England, "Gatepiers, gates and churchyard walls to west of Church of St Mary, Tilston (1106301)" , National Heritage List for England , retrieved 14 September 2012
^ TILSTON (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD , Commonwealth War Graves Commission , retrieved 4 February 2013
Churches in Cheshire
St Mary's Church, Acton
Alderley Edge Methodist Church
St Philip's Church, Alderley Edge
St John the Baptist's Church, Aldford
Christ Church, Alsager
St Mary Magdalene's Church, Alsager
St John the Evangelist's Church, Alvanley
St Mark's Church, Antrobus
St Cross Church, Appleton Thorn
St Elizabeth's Church, Ashley
St John the Evangelist's Church, Ashton Hayes
St Mary's Church, Astbury
St Peter's Church, Aston-by-Sutton
Audlem Baptist Church
St James' Church, Audlem
St Oswald's Church, Backford
St Michael's Church, Baddiley
Christ Church, Barnton
St Bartholomew's Church, Barrow
St Bertoline's Church, Barthomley
Holy Trinity Church, Bickerton
St Wenefrede's Church, Bickley
Bollington Methodist Church
St John the Baptist's Church, Bollington
St Oswald's Church, Bollington
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bosley
St Paul's Church, Boughton
St Oswald's Church, Brereton
Brown Knowl Methodist Church
St Mary's Church, Bruera
St Boniface's Church, Bunbury
St Mary's and St Michael's Church, Burleydam
St Nicholas' Church, Burton
St John's Church, Burwardsley
St John the Evangelist's Church, Byley
Holy Trinity Church, Capenhurst
Holy Trinity Chapel, Capesthorne
St John the Evangelist's Church, Chelford
English Presbyterian Church of Wales, Chester
Chester Cathedral
Christ Church, Chester
Holy Trinity Church, Chester
Northgate Church, Chester
St Andrew's Church, Chester
St Francis' Church, Chester
St John the Baptist's Church, Chester
St Peter's Church, Chester
Church of St Mary-on-the-Hill, Chester
St Michael's Church, Chester
St Nicholas' Chapel, Chester
St Olave's Church, Chester
St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Chester
St Werburgh's Church, Chester
Welsh Presbyterian Church, Chester
Zion Chapel, Chester
St Nicholas' Chapel, Cholmondeley
St James' Church, Christleton
All Saints Church, Church Lawton
St Bartholomew's Church, Church Minshull
St Mary's Church, Coddington
St Mary's Church, Congleton
St Peter's Church, Congleton
St Michael's Church, Coppenhall
St John's Church, Cotebrook
St Barnabas' Church, Crewe
St Mary's Church, Crewe
St Peter's Church, Crewe
Union Street Baptist Church, Crewe
St Michael and All Angels Church, Crewe Green
Christ Church, Croft
Christ Church, Crowton
All Saints' Church, Daresbury
St Wilfrid's Church, Davenham
St Peter's Church, Delamere
St Mary's Church, Disley
St Michael's Church, Ditton
St John's Church, Doddington
St Mary's Church, Dodleston
St Luke's Church, Dunham on the Hill
Christ Church, Eaton
St Mary's Church, Eccleston
Christ Church, Ellesmere Port
St Chad's Church, Farndon
St Luke's Church, Farnworth
Forest Chapel
St Laurence's Church, Frodsham
St James' Church, Gawsworth
St Wilfrid's Church, Grappenhall
St Luke's Church, Goostrey
St Mary and All Saints' Church, Great Budworth
All Saints Church, Great Saughall
Baptist Chapel, Great Warford
St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton
St Mary's Church, Hale
St Mary's Church, Halton
St Mary's Church, Handbridge
All Saints Church, Handley
St Peter's Church, Hargrave
St John's Church, Hartford
All Saints Church, Harthill
St Matthew's Church, Haslington
St Philip's Church, Hassall Green
St Paul's Church, Helsby
St Thomas' Church, Henbury
St John's Church, High Legh
St Mary's Chapel, High Legh
St Luke's Church, Holmes Chapel
Church of St Mary of the Angels, Hooton
St Michael's Church, Hulme Walfield
Holy Trinity Church, Hurdsfield
St James' Church, Ince
St Philip's Church, Kelsall
St John the Evangelist's Church, Kingsley
Brook Street Chapel, Knutsford
St Cross Church, Knutsford
St John the Baptist's Church, Knutsford
St Peter's Church, Little Budworth
St Michael and All Angels Church, Little Leigh
St Oswald's Church, Lower Peover
St Luke's Church, Lower Whitley
Lymm Baptist Church
St Mary's Church, Lymm
King Edward Street Chapel, Macclesfield
St Alban's Church, Macclesfield
St George's Church, Macclesfield
St Michael's Church, Macclesfield
St Paul's Church, Macclesfield
St Peter's Church, Macclesfield
Macclesfield United Reformed Church
St Oswald's Church, Malpas
St Michael's Church, Marbury
St James' and St Paul's Church, Marton
St Michael and All Angels, Middlewich
St Peter's Church, Minshull Vernon
Minshull Vernon United Reformed Church
St Wilfrid's Church, Mobberley
St Stephen's Church, Moulton
St Mary's Church, Nantwich
St Mary's and St Helen's Church, Neston
St Mary's Church, Nether Alderley
St John the Evangelist's Church, Norley
St Michael's Church, North Rode
Holy Trinity Church, Northwich
St Helen Witton Church, Northwich
St Luke's Church, Oakhanger
St Peter's Church, Oughtrington
St Catherine's Church, Over Alderley
St Lawrence's Church, Over Peover
St Paul's Church, Over Tabley
St Chad's Church, Over
Over United Reformed Church
St Thomas' Church, Parkgate
St Peter's Church, Plemstall
Poole Methodist Chapel
St Christopher's Church, Pott Shrigley
St George's Church, Poynton
St Peter's Church, Prestbury
St Mary's Church, Pulford
Holy Trinity Church, Rainow
St Mary's Church, Rostherne
All Saints' Church, Runcorn
Holy Trinity Church, Runcorn
Jenkin Chapel
St Mary's Church, Sandbach
Sandbach Methodist Church
St John the Evangelist's Church, Sandbach Heath
St John the Evangelist's Church, Sandiway
All Saints Church, Scholar Green
St Edith's Church, Shocklach
St Michael's Church, Shotwick
All Saints Church, Siddington
St John the Baptist's Church, Smallwood
All Saints Chapel, Somerford
St Lawrence's Church, Stoak
St Thomas' Church, Stockton Heath
St Matthew's Church, Stretton
St Peter's Church, Swettenham
St Peter's Church, Tabley
St Helen's Church, Tarporley
St Andrew's Church, Tarvin
St Alban's Church, Tattenhall
All Saints Church, Thelwall
St Mary's Church, Thornton-le-Moors
St John's Church, Threapwood
St Mary's Church, Tilston
St Jude's Church, Tilstone Fearnall
St John the Evangelist's Church, Toft
St Chad's Chapel, Tushingham
St Chad's Church, Tushingham
Holy Ascension Church, Upton-by-Chester
St Leonard's Church, Warmingham
Holy Trinity Church, Warrington
St Alban's Church, Warrington
St Elphin's Church, Warrington
St John the Evangelist's Church, Warrington
St Mary's Church, Warrington
St Peter's Church, Waverton
Methodist Church, Weaverham
St Mary's Church, Weaverham
Wesley Methodist Church, Chester
All Saints' Church, Weston, Cheshire
St John the Evangelist's Church, Weston
Christ Church, Wheelock
St Mary's Church, Whitegate
St Ambrose Church, Widnes
St Bede's Church, Widnes
St Marie's Church, Widnes
St Mary's Church, Widnes
St Saviour's Church, Wildboarclough
Christ Church, Willaston
Dean Row Chapel, Wilmslow
St Bartholomew's Church, Wilmslow
St Michael's Church, Wincle
St John the Evangelist's Church, Winsford
St Oswald's Church, Winwick
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Wistaston
St Oswald's Church, Worleston
St Margaret's Church, Wrenbury