Church Of St Mary

Church of St. Mary, Greasley

Parish church. Mid 15th century, with restorations carried out in 1753, 1772, 1832, and 1882. The nave and chancel were rebuilt in 1896. Vestries were added in 1910 and 1962. The building is constructed of coursed and squared rubble with ashlar, featuring gabled and lean-to plain tile roofs, a chamfered plinth, coved and chamfered eaves, and an ashlar side wall stack.

The church comprises a west tower, nave, chancel, north and south aisles, and vestries.

The west tower dates to the mid-15th century and rises in three stages. It has a chamfered and moulded plinth, coved string courses and eaves, four gargoyles, and a crenellated parapet with eight crocketed pinnacles. The tower is supported by four pairs of corner buttresses with five setoffs. The first stage contains a moulded doorway to the west with hood mould, above which is a cusped triple lancet with panel tracery and hood mould. The second stage has a light to the south and west. The third stage has on each side two double round-headed lancets with panel tracery and hood mould.

The north aisle is buttressed with three bays and features three untraceried triple lancets with dated rainwater heads. The south aisle is identical. The nave has a coped east gable with a cross and a small lancet. The chancel extends for two bays and contains a mid-15th century triple lancet to the north, while the east end has a corner buttress and shouldered coped gable with cross. A cusped Decorated triple lancet is also present. The south side of the chancel features a large buttress to the east and two restored mid-15th century triple lancets to the west with coved reveals. The north vestry has a diagonal buttress, a door to the north, and a double lancet; a similar lancet is positioned to the east. The south vestry is gabled with leaded metal casements to the east and south.

Internally, the tall tower arch is double-chamfered and rebated with conical imposts and a late-19th century glazed draught screen. The nave arcades extend for three bays with octagonal piers and responds having plain bases and moulded capitals. The arches are double-chamfered and rebated with hood moulds. The east gable features a stained glass quatrefoil window. The roof is a moulded kingpost design with arch braces and shield bosses. The aisles have lean-to roofs with arch braces. The north aisle east end contains a pointed opening with an organ. The south aisle east end window incorporates 15th-century stained glass installed in 1960. A south side east window contains stained glass from circa 1950.

The chancel has a moulded arch with hood mould and stops, together with a crested, traceried oak Memorial screen dated 1919. The north side contains an opening with an organ. The east end features a 19th-century ashlar reredos and a stained glass War Memorial window dated 1948. The south side has a window to the east incorporating stained glass from Beauvale Priory installed in 1947, and to the west a stained glass Diocesan window of circa 1950.

The church's fittings include a plain octagonal font of the 14th century on a round base, a late-19th century arcaded round pulpit, an 18th-century balustraded altar rail, and 19th and late-20th century stalls, benches and desks. There are four 18th-century slate tablets with shaped heads bearing the Commandments, Creed and Lord's Prayer. Late-18th century slate and obelisk-shaped tablets refer to charities.

Monuments comprise a large marble tablet with apron, obelisk and crest dated 1703, and a large marble tablet with a recess containing a half figure below a broken pediment and crest, commemorating Lancelot Roileston, dated 1682. Marble and slate tablets to the Rolleston family are dated 1749, 1770, 1802, and 1844. There are also three marble and slate tablets from the mid-18th and 19th centuries. Brasses date from the late 16th century, 1694, late 17th century, 1712, and the mid and later 19th and 20th centuries. A cased Roll of Honour covers 1939–45.