Church Of St Mary Magdalene

SK49SE WHISTON SCHOOL HILL (off north-east side) 6/93 Church of 29.3.68 St. Mary Magdalene GV II* Church. C12 west window now built into east wall of C13 tower, south doorway also C13; south wall rebuilt C15; extensive rebuilding of 1881-83 by John Oldrid Scott including addition of new nave and chancel to north of old axis; south porch, vestry and part of tower also of this date. Earliest work rubble sandstone, C15 work ashlar, C19 work dressed sandstone; Welsh slate and lead roofs. South-west tower; old 3-bay nave and 2-bay chancel now forms south aisle and chapel to C19 4-bay nave and 3-bay chancel; north vestry, south porch. Tower: north and west walls of early rubble work, other walls refaced C19 with added diagonal buttresses. Chamfered and moulded plinth. Lancet west window, 4- centred-arched belfry openings with louvres beneath two , square, decorated panels. String course with gargoyles beneath frieze with foiled panels, embattled parapet steps up to crocketed pinnacles. Tiled pyramidal roof with weathervane. Nave: south aisle has chamfered plinth, wave-moulded band and angle buttresses. C19 gabled porch with 2-light Y-tracery window to left and two 4-centred, 3-light windows to right, all with hoodmoulds. String course beneath embattled parapet with end pinnacles. C19 north wall of nave has four 3-light windows with buttresses to each bay. Paired west doors with pointed arches and foliage-carved spandrels, 4-light west window with hoodmould. Gable copings with crosses. Lower chancel has chamfered plinth and diagonal buttresses flanking 3-light Perpendicular-style east window. Two 2-light windows to each side wall. Gabled, 2-storey, north vestry with ogee west doorway and 2 octagonal chimneys. South chapel as aisle but with diagonal east buttress, central buttress, priest's door and square-headed 2-light and 3-light windows. Interior: pointed south doorway with tall cavetto-moulded arch. Double-chamfered tower arch beneath C12 west window. In corners of tower are 4 massive timber posts which formerly supported the bell frame. C19 aisle arcade with compound keeled piers and one octagonal pier, carved capitals, moulded arches with continuous hoodmould. Marble wall monuments in south aisle. 2 medieval grave slabs, one in the base of the tower, the other north of the chapel altar. Stained glass: east window by Clayton and Bell, 1883; west window of same date by Kemp, 2 later windows in aisle also by Kemp. J. D. Griffin, The Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Whiston, 1967.

Listing NGR: SK4510590025