Church

St Mary, Prestwich

St Mary, Prestwich

The Church of St Mary the Virgin on Church Lane, Prestwich, is the Grade I ancient parish church of Prestwich-cum-Oldham, a Church of England church in the Diocese of Manchester. It is a different building from St Margaret, Prestwich (Holyrood), the Victorian chapel of ease on St Margaret’s Road, already researched separately.

Location
Prestwich, Greater Manchester
Country
England
County
Greater Manchester
City / town
Prestwich
Address
Church Lane, Prestwich, Greater Manchester, M25 1AN
Postcode
M25 1AN
Built
Church on site from at least 1200; C15 tower; C16 nave and aisles; C19 chapels, porches and Paley and Austin chancel 1888–89
Architect
Paley and Austin (chancel, Wilton Chapel, organ chamber and choir vestry, 1888–89)
Denomination
Church of England
Dedication
Mary
Diocese
Manchester
Parish
Prestwich
Grade
I
Style
Gothic, with Gothic Revival additions
Materials
Red sandstone with stone-slate roof
Grid reference
SD 811 036
Opening hours
Sorry, there are no regular opening times for this church.
Access
Level access to the main areas. Accessible toilets nearby

Overview

Historic England lists the Church of St Mary (NHLE 1067252, listed 30 June 1966). The list records a church on the site from at least 1200; the earliest standing fabric is the fifteenth-century west tower; the nave and aisles are sixteenth-century; the south porch is of 1856; the Lever Chapel and Lady Chapel of 1874–75; the chancel, Wilton Chapel, organ chamber and choir vestry by Paley and Austin, 1888–89; and the north porch of 1895. The church is red sandstone with a stone-slate roof. Internally, tall octagonal piers carry a sixteenth-century coffered roof with carved bosses. The listing calls it a fine church of great historic importance as the ancient parish church of Prestwich-cum-Oldham. Pevsner described it as a major church.

Further Information