St Mary's Church, Thornton-le-Moors

A church that stands on history

St Mary's dates from the fourteenth century onwards, and is believed to be on the site of a pre-Conquest church. It sits in a village close to the Mersey estuary, near a small nature reserve.

The building that survives today is a mostly 14th-century structure and is built predominantly from red Cheshire sandstone. There is a piscina of 14th-century date in the wall of the eastern end of the south aisle, indicating the former location of a medieval altar. The piscina would have been used by a medieval priest to wash his hands along with the sacred vessels during Mass.

The church was enlarged in the 16th century, including the addition of the tower to the western end of the south aisle and the Elton chapel at its eastern end (now housing an impressive organ). A period of dereliction followed (see the Chambre memorial), with graffiti of the 17th and 18th centuries indicating renovation work of that date. The 19th-century restoration was spearheaded by Canon Barker, who did not live to see its completion. Following a disastrous fire in 1909 the tower was largely rebuilt.

Our churches cost on average, £2500 per year, to keep them clean, conservation work, maintenance checks and in a safe condition for visitors to come and enjoy.

Please help us to keep our churches open by donating a gift of £5 or £10 by texting the numbers below

Text TLM to 70970 to give £5

Text TLM to 70191 to give £10

Your generous donation will help us to protect a beautiful part of local and national heritage. Thank you!