St Oswald

Massive 3-stage tower has diagonal west buttresses and angle east buttresses, south-east octagonal turret, bands above bell chamber and at base of crenellated parapet with crocketed corner pinnacles, round-arched west door, C14 reticulated 5-light west window and simple 2-light reticulated bell-openings

The aisles have C14 east windows

C15 4-light panel-traceried, segmental-arched west, north and south windows

the Tudor-arched clerestorey windows have 4 lights.

Tower, nave and aisles have gargoyles.

Gargoyle on the tower of St Oswald's Church.

© Jeff Buck

A springer north of chancel arch, gable marks on west and east walls and possibly the chancel arch show that C14 church was much lower, with separate ridges over nave and aisles.

Fine late C15 camber-beam panelled roofs with ornate bosses and angels (restored) on corbels, to nave and (with simpler detail and quatrefoil panels) to aisles.

Chancel of 3 bays has canted south side and camber-beam roof with carved bosses.

Brasses to Philip de Egerton and family circa 1400

to Urian Davenport, rector of Malpas, 1495, in stones in north aisle and south of pulpit, moved in 1950 from Cholmondeley Chapel.

The Brereton monument, outstanding, is to Sir Randal, baronet, and his wife Eleanor, erected circa 1522 with admirable naturalistic effigies on a chest tomb.

The Cholmondeley Chapel, shortened to 1 /3rd bays of north aisle in 1717, has 4 panels of traceried oak screen replaced (fascimile) in cast iron 1717(?), Latin inscription on head-beams and monument to Sir Hugh Cholmondeley and his 2nd wife Mary, similar in form to Brereton monument, but stiffer.

Monument to the 16th century Sir Hugh Cholmondeley and his second wife Mary in St Oswald's Church, Malpas.

© Oliver Dixon

Glass includes medieval fragments in south aisle next to porch

roundels of 16th/17th century Flemish painted glass depicting Biblical scenes in west window of north aisle and north window of Cholmondeley Chapel

east window a memorial to Bishop Heber, born in Malpas Rectory (q.v.).

C15 octagonal font with 1627 oak cover

From the guidebook :- Font which is 15th Century. Octagonal with quatrefoil panels with roses on the base and stem and has a chequered history. In 1815 Philip Egerton of Oulton presented a new marble font to the church, but this only remained in place for 32 years for, on the 15th May 1847 it was sold for £10 to St. Chads Shrewsbury. The old font was returned to its place. It has an oak cover made in 1627 (engraved into the wood) and we are indeed lucky that this survived. Rector Kenyon discovered it in about 1880 and returned it to the font.

© Brian Deegan

C13 wrought-iron-bound oak chest

9 C15 stalls with misericords, 6 much restored

3 pairs of hatchments