St Mary's Church, Cresswell

Church of St Mary
Viewed from the north
52°57′5.303″N2°1′57.990″W / 52.95147306°N 2.03277500°W / 52.95147306; -2.03277500
OS grid reference	SJ 97895 39344
Location	Cresswell, Staffordshire
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	4 February 2016
Completed	1816
Administration
Diocese	Archdiocese of Birmingham

St Mary's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Cresswell, a hamlet near Draycott in the Moors in Staffordshire, England, and in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. ^[1] The building, completed in 1816, is Grade II listed. ^[2]

History

St Mary's in Cresswell was the first Roman Catholic church built in north Staffordshire after the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1791. It was built in 1815–1816 for Thomas Baddeley, and funded by Lady Mary Stourton, a member of the family owning the Draycott estate. The adjoining house, dating from the 17th century (now Grade II listed ^[3] ), was by the time of the building of the church a presbytery. The church contains vestments and a chalice from the chapel at Paynsley Hall, which was owned by the Draycott family. Paynsley Hall, near Cresswell, is now demolished; the remaining moated site is a scheduled monument. ^{[2] [4] [5]}

Description

It is a brick building with rendered gable ends, and a mid 20th-century porch to the north-east. The sides are separated by stepped buttresses into five bays, each with a lancet window, and there are stepped buttresses at each corner. ^[2]

The interior was reordered in the 1960s, becoming more simplified, with many fittings dating from this time. There are wall mounted memorials, originally in the chapel at Paynsley Hall. There is a window of 1848 by A. W. N. Pugin to Lady Stourton, depicting the Annunciation, made by Hardman & Co. The Romanesque stone font of the mid 19th century is probably not by Pugin, as was once supposed. The sanctuary in the south-west, liturgical east, has a 20th-century altar of marble, with mosaic and opus sectile panels. ^{[2] [4]}

The churchyard cross in the adjacent cemetery dates from the mid 19th century, and is attributed to A. W. N. Pugin. It is listed Grade II. ^[6]

See also

• Listed buildings in Draycott in the Moors

References

1. "St Mary, Cresswell" Archdiocese of Birmingham. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
2. Historic England. "Roman Catholic Church of St Mary (1430413)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 17 September 2025.
3. Historic England. "St Mary's House (1205381)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
4. "St Mary, Cresswell: History" The Catholic Parishes of St Augustine, St Mary and St Filumena. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
5. Historic England. "Paynsley Hall moated site and outer enclosure (1011050)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
6. Historic England. "Churchyard cross (1431556)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 September 2025.