St Lawrence's Church, Over Peover

St Lawrence's Church, Over Peover
St Lawrence's Church, Over Peover, from the south
St Lawrence's Church, Over Peover Location in Cheshire
Coordinates: 53°15′30″N 2°20′35″W / 53.2582°N 2.3431°W / 53.2582; -2.3431
OS grid reference	SJ 772 736
Location	Over Peover, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Lawrence, Over Peover
History
Dedication	St Lawrence
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	5 March 1959
Architect(s)	J. Garlive, William Turner
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic, Neoclassical, Gothic Revival
Completed	1811
Specifications
Materials	Brick tower and body Stone chapels with leaded roofs
Administration
Parish	Over Peover
Deanery	Knutsford
Archdeaconry	Macclesfield
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St Lawrence's Church, Over Peover is in an isolated position approached by a lane in the civil parish of Peover Superior. The only other buildings nearby are Peover Hall and a farm. It lies some 3 miles (5 km) south of the town of Knutsford. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. The church is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Knutsford. Its benefice is combined with that of St Oswald, Lower or Nether Peover. It is noted for its old chapels and for the monuments to the Mainwaring family.

It is thought that the original church was built in the reign of Edward III. The present tower was built of brick in 1739, probably by J. Garlive. The nave and chancel were rebuilt in brick in 1811 by William Turner. During the restoration the pre-existing stone chapels were preserved. The south chapel dates from 1456 and the north chapel from 1648. The north chapel was built by Ellen, widow of Philip Mainwaring. The church was refurbished in 1895 by the Lancaster architects, Austin and Paley. During the Second World War, General George Patton and his staff worshipped in the church while they were stationed in Peover Hall.

The plan consists of a west tower, a four-bay undivided nave and chancel, south and north chapels, a south porch and a north vestry. The tower is in three stages. It has round windows and arched bell-windows with pilasters. The south chapel has two bays with three buttresses surmounted by gargoyles and a battlemented parapet. The north chapel is one of the earliest regular classical buildings in the region.