The Only Wren Church Outside London
St Mary's, Ingestre, Staffordshire
I live only a few miles away from the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Ingestre, Staffordshire, and I had no idea that it’s thought to be by Sir Christopher Wren until my husband read about it in the Spectator recently. Naturally, we had to visit - it lies close to the Jacobean Ingestre Hall, not far from Stafford.
The church - as I said, widely thought to be by Wren - was commissioned by Walter Chetwynd in 1673 and built in 1676. Its exterior has a square tower with a clock (with just one hand) and a parapet with urns.
Inside, it’s a stunning symphony of intrcate white stucco and dark Flanders oak. The ceiling is gorgeous in the nave but even better above by the altar, an area which is barrel-valuted. The carved rood screen is thought to be the work of Grinling Gibbons, and the Chetwynd coat of arms on the top is just about the finest example of 17th-century wood carving you could hope to see. In the swags on the back of the screen are some open peapods - something of a signature of Gibbons’ work.
The pulpit (above) also has some intricate carving - lots of putti everywhere - but probably done by an assistant, as it’s not quite as fine as the screen. Overall, it’s an extremely impressive piece of work - on our visit, gentle afternoon sunlight fell on the white plasterwork, making for a very serene atmosphere (until some locals came in, loudly singing the wedding march!)
Fascinating!