St John the Evangelist's Church, Winsford

In 1860 Hugh Cholmondeley, 2nd Baron Delamere, commissioned the Chester architect John Douglas to build a church in the centre of Over, which was then a village separate from Winsford, as a memorial to his wife, Sara. At that time Douglas was at the start of his career and was working for Lord Delamere at his house and estate at Vale Royal Abbey. A new parish of St John the Evangelist was created out of the parishes of St Mary, Whitegate and St Chad, Over. The church was consecrated by John Graham, Bishop of Chester in June 1863. This was the first church designed by John Douglas. In 1961 a new choir vestry was formed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the church. A Lady Chapel was…

The church is built in Runcorn sandstone with a grey slate roof. It is in Decorated style. Its plan consists of a five-bay nave with a clerestory, north and south aisles, a chancel, a tower at the southwest corner, and a vestry at the northeast. The tower is in three stages with a spire and angle buttresses. In the third stage of the tower are two-light bell openings and clock faces on three sides. There is no clock face on the south side because when the church was built there were only fields on that side. The spire is 140 ft high. On the spire are lucarnes, and at the top is a wrought iron cross. A chimney stack rises from the gable of the vestry. Internally there is stone panelling at…

Today the church is very active and has regular services on Sundays. It holds baptisms, marriages and funerals and other occasional events. It is very involved in the community of Winsford.