St Mary's Church, Penwortham

The oldest part of the church is the chancel which dates from the 14th century. The west tower was built in the 15th century. As part of the restoration the roof was raised, and the north and west galleries were removed. Between 2009 and 2011 the church was reordered, under-floor heating was installed, and the pews were replaced by chairs.

St Mary's is constructed in stone and has a slate roof. Its plan consists of a four-bay nave with north and south aisles, a south porch, a chancel, and a west tower. The tower has diagonal buttresses and a battlemented parapet with pinnacles. On its west side is a doorway, above which is a three-light window with Perpendicular tracery. Over the window is a niche with an ogee head and crocketed pinnacles. The bell openings have two lights and are louvred. On the sides of the nave are five two-light windows. There is a blocked priest's door in the south wall of the chancel, above which is a stone inscribed with the date 1653.

Inside the church, the arcades are carried on alternate round and octagonal piers. An ancient font inscribed "T.R. 1667", stood in the church until the 19th century. In the 18th century, this font was replaced by a marble font, with a Latin inscription, indicating that it was gifted by H. Fleetwood in 1725. The current font is octagonal and of Caen stone and was given in 1856 by a Churchwarden, Mr Norris who requested the 1667 font for use in his garden. The Fleetwood font was moved to the cellar of the Old Chapel at Longton, and in 1886 it was transferred to the present Church of St. Andrew's in 1886. The 1667 font was offered for auction in 1872, but was not sold and instead taken to the…