No. 78 of 112 · Prestwich · Bury
St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich
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The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich · David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0
Sources
Historic England, National Heritage List entry 1067252: designation and building phases. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1067252 Heritage facts reviewed; current opening arrangements and coordinates have not been rechecked.
History & description
St Mary the Virgin at Prestwich is a Grade I listed church with substantial medieval fabric. A church is recorded on the site from at least 1200, but Historic England identifies the fifteenth-century tower as the earliest surviving part of the present structure. The nave and aisles belong to the sixteenth century.
Later building phases
The south porch was added in 1856, followed by the Lever and Lady chapels in 1874-1875. Paley and Austin added the chancel, Wilton Chapel, organ chamber and choir vestry in 1888-1889. The north porch dates from 1895.
Why it matters
The building preserves the history of the former large parish of Prestwich-cum-Oldham. Its successive chapels and additions show how an older church adapted to later congregations. Historic England also records eighteenth-century lighting and stained glass by Shrigley and Hunt and by Clayton and Bell. This is a separate church from St Mary the Virgin in Bury town centre.
Map position: church point or building centre from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Photograph: The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich - geograph.org.uk - 6572909.jpg by David Dixon, via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 2.0. Shown at reduced size; no other alterations.
The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich · David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0
