Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bosley

This church was initially a chapel of ease to the parish church of Prestbury and was dedicated to Saint Thomas the Martyr. Later the dedication was changed to Saint Lawrence, and later again to Saint Mary the Virgin. In response to a petition by the parishioners a papal bull was issued by Pope Boniface IX in 1402 granting the church greater independence. The church was originally a timber-framed church with a stone tower. The red sandstone tower dates from about 1500. In 1777 the church, apart from the tower, was rebuilt in brick. A chancel designed by James Green was added in 1834. In 1878–79 new bells were installed, the tower was raised by 6 ft, and some of the original medieval…

In the church is a late 18th-century altar table, a 17th-century oak pulpit, sanctuary chairs from the same period, and a parish chest dating probably from the 16th century. The parish registers begin in 1728.