The grounds contain a 17th-century former schoolhouse, now used as a parish hall, a medieval church cross, and the Stanley Mausoleum, which dates from 1909.

St Mary's is an active parish church[6] in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield, and the deanery of Knutsford.

[9] In 1856, the chancel was completely rebuilt, to a design by Cuffley and Starkey,[10] paid for by the Stanley family.

[8] St Mary's is built of ashlar buff and red sandstone quarried locally at Alderley Edge,[6] and the roof is of Kerridge stone slates.

The early 17th-century Stanley pew at the eastern end of the south aisle is at the level of an upper storey, and is entered by a flight of steps from outside the church.

[1] At the west end of the church is a late-18th-century musicians' gallery, whose front panel has painted coats of arms.

This was presented by Lady Fabia Stanley in 1875 and was made by Hill and Company of London at a cost of £350 (equivalent to £42,000 in 2023),[9][11] An oak document chest in the tower has been dated to 1686.

[12] On the other side of the chancel is a memorial to his son Edward Stanley, his effigy holding a scroll in his hand and with a dog at his feet.

[12] The stained glass window to the left of the pulpit was donated by the Greg family of Styal Mill.

[1] The sandstone schoolhouse in the churchyard was built in 1628; the school room was on the ground floor and the schoolmaster's accommodation was above.

A large room was added to the rear in 1817, and in 1908 the building was restored and presented to the parish by Lord Stanley.

It was designed in the neo-Jacobean style by Paul Phipps, and is rectangular in shape, with two storeys and a three-bay north front.

The central bay contains a door, above which is the Stanley crest, a three-light window and a date plaque in the gable.

[22] It had been known that under the church was a vault containing the remains of some members of the Stanley family but its whereabouts were not known until they were discovered by an architect in 2007.

[23] St Mary's holds a variety of Anglican services on Sundays[24] and offers a range of church activities.