St Peter's Church, Plemstall

St Peter's Church, Plemstall
St Peter's Church, Plemstall, from the southwest
St Peter's Church, Plemstall Location in Cheshire
Coordinates: 53°13′30″N 2°48′53″W / 53.2251°N 2.8147°W / 53.2251; -2.8147
OS grid reference	SJ 456 701
Location	Mickle Trafford, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Peter's Plemstall
History
Dedication	St Peter
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	1 June 1967
Architectural type	Church
Style	Perpendicular, Gothic Revival
Specifications
Materials	Red sandstone Welsh slate roof
Administration
Parish	Plemstall
Deanery	Chester
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York
Clergy
Rector	Rev Mark Hart
Laity
Reader(s)	Pauline Holgate, Barbara King
Churchwarden(s)	Mike Lowry, Hazel McBriar

St Peter's Church, Plemstall stands in an isolated position at the end of a country lane near the village of Mickle Trafford, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester. Its benefice is combined with that of St John the Baptist's Church, Guilden Sutton.

The recorded history of the church goes back to the 7th century. The present church is believed to be built on the site where Plegmund, later Archbishop of Canterbury, lived as a hermit in the 9th century. The surrounding land used to be a marsh and the church stands in a slightly elevated area which was known as "The Isle of Chester". The original church was built in the 12th century but the present building dates mostly from the 15th century. This was financed by the Trafford family who lived locally. A tower was added at the west end in 1826. Inscriptions in the church show that there were restorations in 1684, 1711, 1802–03 and 1819.Death watch beetle was found in some roof rafters and the church was re-roofed in 1958. Electric light was installed in the church in 1966 and central hearing was installed in 1968. Since then a toilet and an entrance for disabled people have been built on to the vestry on the north side. In 2006 new lighting was fitted in the church. The pews were removed from the Barnston Chapel and replaced by modern chairs.

The church is built in red sandstone with a roof of Welsh slate in late Perpendicular style. The plan consists of a five-bay nave and a chancel in one range, a north aisle with a chapel at its east end, and a south porch. The tower has two bands and a cornice with a castellated parapet and crocketed finials. The porch, which was added in the 16th century, has grooves into which barriers could be inserted to prevent livestock from entering the church.