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St Martin's Church, Ashton upon Mersey
St Martin's Church is in Church Lane, Ashton upon Mersey, a district of Sale, Greater Manchester, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.[1] It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Bowdon.[2] HistoryThe first church, probably timber-framed, was built in 1304 on the site of an old Saxon burial place. In 1704 it was destroyed by a storm.[3] A new church was built in 1714 for Joshua Allen. In 1874 a baptistry by W. H. Brakspear was added. In 1886, the turret and clock were removed and the following year a new tower was built, it was designed by George Truefitt for Sir Williams Cunliffe Brooks.[1][4] In the same year a ring of 13 bells was installed and a new lych gate was built.[3] ArchitectureExteriorThe church is built in Lymm sandstone[3] with slate and tile roofs. Its plan consists of a wide nave of four bays, a south porch, a north baptistery, and a chancel with an adjoining tower containing a vestry to the south. The tower is square, its top stage being timber-framed. It contains a clock face to the south, gables on each side and an elaborate weather vane. The baptistry is octagonal with a pyramidal roof.[1] InteriorAt the west end is a gallery. The roof is double hammer beam in type. The chancel walls are panelled with the ends of former box pews. One font dating from the 16th century on a 20th-century shaft is wrongly dated 1304. Another font dates from the 18th century.[1] The parish chest is long and narrow, and is dated 1706. On the walls are a number of memorial tablets. The parish registers date from 1631 but are not complete and are in part difficult to decipher.[3] The stained glass in the east window was given in 1862 by James Occleston.[4] External featuresIn the churchyard is a sundial dating from the early 19th century in stone with a copper dial and gnomon. It is listed at Grade II.[5] Also listed at Grade II is the lych gate dated 1887 designed by George Truefitt. It is timber-framed with a pyramidal clay tile roof on a brick plinth. Two sides have large semicircular arches; the other two sides are vertically studded. All sides have pierced roundel bands just below the eaves. The gates are cast iron.[6] The churchyard contains the war graves of 16 service personnel, eight of World War I and eight of World War II.[7] See also
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