St Mary's Church, Dodleston

St Mary's Church is in the village of Dodleston, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Chester.HistoryA church has been on this site, adjacent to a former motte and bailey castle, since at least medieval times but only the base of its tower, which dates from the early 16th century, remains. The remainder of the church was rebuilt in 1870 in Perpendicular style by the Chester architect John Douglas.ArchitectureExteriorThe church is built in red sandstone with grey slate roofs. Its plan consists of a four-bay nave with a north aisle, a chancel with a north vestry, and a half-timbered gabled north porch. The two-stage tower has a short spire within its crenellated parapet. It has diagonal buttresses and, on the west face, a four-light window. On the south side of the tower is a small ringers' window and the belfry windows have two lights. The east window has five lights and contains panel tracery. On the exterior north wall of the tower are pitted marks which are said to have been made by muskets fired during the Civil War.