The Building and Contents of St Mary's Nantwich
Nantwich Church is a major tourist attraction with estimated visitors totalling 50,000 per year. The visitors include numerous school parties, visiting church parties, coach party "stop-offs" and casual visitors who all come to see:-
- the magnificent building
- the rare 14th Century stone pulpit
- the splendid 14th Century Chancel with its "lierne" vaulting
- the exquisite Choir Stalls with intricate carvings and canopies
- the unusual bread oven
- the strange stone carvings
- the library with rare 17th Century books
- the breathtaking Jubilee curtain
- the fine collection of kneelers
- and many other features.
We have added a full 360 panorama of the inside of St Mary's Church to the website which you can see here.
St. Mary's Church has a dedicated team of specialist tour guides who are able to escort visiting parties around the church and point out features of interest.
Many of the school parties that visit the church find the tours given by the guides very helpful in explaining the many historical features, of this magnificient building, to enhance their knowledge and understanding .
All visiting paties to St. Mary's will immediately feel the warmth and balance of not only, a physical church, but a living church.
Visitors will soon notice that our church is about people sharing in Life and Faith together
Visits arranged via the Parish Office telephone 0044 (0)1270 625268
The Creation Window
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Situated in the North aisle is the newest stained glass in the church the "Creation" window given in 1984 by Mrs Elizabeth Bourne in memory of her husband Albert, a local farmer. The farmer himself is shown twice, fishing in the stream and on the opposite side, emerging from the trees with his gun and dog. The lower section of the window shows the farmer's house with creatures of the Cheshire Plain. Above are shown some animals of the world, birds of the air and fishes of the sea, star and heavenly bodies including Halley's comet - all beneath the hand of the creator. |
The Tapestry Group
This group have been responsible for, among other projects, the "Jubilee Curtains" and of course the St. Marys Kneelers.
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An unusual bread oven....
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Before the Reformation, the church belonged to the monks of nearby Combermere Abbey. They used this wall oven to bake bread for the Sacrament. There would earlier have been a door and a shelf, and a small chimney to the side |
Views within St Mary's
It's hard to convey the beauty and scale of the building of St Mary's using just a few photographs. But if you don't have the chance to visit us, here are a few photos of the inside of the church to give you an idea.
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"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 15:13