St Margaret's Church, located on Church Lane in Wolstanton, is a Grade II* listed Anglican church in the Diocese of Lichfield.
The Grade II* listed description given by Historic England reads as follows;
"NEWCASTLE UNDER LYME WOLSTANTON CHURCH LANE (East side) Church of St Margaret
21/10/49
Grade: II*
Church. Mainly of 1860, but incorporating substantial amounts of medieval building, including north tower and spire. Largely by Ward and Son, with chancel by Salvin. Sandstone rubble, coursed and squared, tiled roof with scalloped bands and ridge cresting. North tower, nave, two aisles, chancel. Decorated style. Squat three-stage tower with parapet and pinnacles and recessed octagonal spire. Decorated lights with deep splays in lower stage and to bell-chamber. Inserted Victorian doorway in east wall. North vestry to chancel, and three-light Decorated east window with fluid tracery. Small window in east wall of nave above chancel roofline. Two-light Decorated aisle windows, heavy buttresses, corbel table. Heavy south porch with angle buttresses and ball-flower decoration to moulded archway. Foliate hood mould with cresting.
INTERIOR: nave arcades of four bays with octagonal shafts. Hammer beam roof, wood traceried chancel screen. Late C19 stained glass, and tiled floors. Series of monuments to members of Sneyd family in chancel: wall tablet to John Sneyd, 1710, pedimented with urn and flanking cherubs; Sir William and Anne Sneyd, 1571, an alabaster chest tomb with recumbant effigies and eleven children represented in high relief round the base. Re-cut stone canopy with strapwork and arms; two other tablets to Radulph and William Sneyd (1729). Listing NGR: SJ8564048062"
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Wolstanton is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and records that the village had a priest.
The church built in decorated style fell into disrepair, and was substantially rebuilt in the 16th century, and again in the 19th century.
Parts of an early stone church from the 10th or 11th century were still visible in 1840s, and it is said that this building replaced an even earlier structure on this site.
The church tower and octagonal spire, which, unusually, is on the north side, is built on medieval foundations. The tower contains a peal of eight bells, six of which date from 1714, when they were installed in Trentham Church, before being moved to St Margaret’s in 1767.
The church has a long history of association with local families and dignitaries, that include the Sneyds, the Moretons, and the Adams.
There are monuments in the chancel to the Sneyd family, in particular an alabaster chest tomb of the 16th century, in memory of Sir William Sneyd and his wife Anne; their recumbent effigies lie on the tomb. There are wall tablets in memory of other members of the family.
The large churchyard contains the grave of Henry Faulds (1843–1930), a missionary and developer of fingerprinting, and a number of Commonwealth War graves.
It also contains the Grade II listed grave of Sarah Smith, who died aged 21 in 1763. The inscription alleges that she was murdered by poisoning, and suggests the name of the man responsible. (
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