A chapel of ease to St Chad's Winsford 1735, a new church dedicated to St. David was erected in 1870, replacing an earlier chapel (c.1818) on the same site. Situated in a quiet farming community, this church is some three miles south-west of Winsford and about six miles north west of Nantwich. The population of this township, nearing 300 in the mid 1800's, had all but halved by the mid 1900's reflecting the move to larger towns as the modern mechanised farming techniques made labour intensive practices obsolete.

This change in population is also reflected in the reducing congregations in many churches. This, combined with the fact that Wettenhall does not have a village hall, has made the alterations to the church, carried out during 1998/9, almost inevitable. These alterations, using National Lottery funding as a Millennium Project, include an extension to north side at the west end of the church to provide kitchen and toilet facilities, the removal of a number of pews at the west end to provide an open, multi-use area with new chairs instead of the fixed pews, re-carpeting of the church and the moving of the font from the back of the church to the front on the south side opposite the pulpit. This has allowed the church to play a bigger role within the community by being able to be used for meetings, aerobic classes and the like. Similar alterations have been made to St. Oswald's at Worleston after the disastrous fire at Christmas 1997, - St. Oswald's being part of the same Benefice with St. Mary's , Acton and St. Bartholomew's, Church Minshull.

The numbering of the dedications inside the church, prefixed IS, both in the text and on the drawing, is simply consecutive starting on the left on entering the church and continuing in a clockwise direction. The numbering of the inscriptions in the churchyard has been taken from an old plan to be found in the vestry and has been followed as accurately as possible and is cross-referenced with the burial register but there are a few discrepancies and these are noted in the text with an explanation where appropriate. Not all incumbents entered grave plot numbers in the burial register especially in the early part of the register and graves 1 to 13 are not mentioned at all. The first 25 entries in the current register do not have any grave reference either, though there are references to "new grave" and occasionally a cost. A transcription of the current register follows the inscriptions of the graveyard.

The illustration of the church is taken from a photocopy of an old print naming J.H.Davies as the Vicar. As he was Vicar between 1869 & 1871 this would date the print accordingly. The list of subscribers is taken from a very faded and faint photocopy of what would appear to be a cutting from an un-named newspaper. Both of these were loaned by Ann Nicholas, Reader and Parish Contact, whose assistance in providing access to the church and the registers, often at short notice, was much appreciated.

Extract from 1996 Quinquennial Inspection.	Thursday 6th June 1996
	Good sunny weather.
	by Graham Holland
	Associates, Knutsford.

Located in open countryside, quite small, five bay nave, two bay chancel with north organ chamber and south vestry, small south porch. Brick with stone dressing, slated roofs to eaves gutters, all plastered internally, gothic with lancets.

Built in 1870 to the designs of J. Redford and J. A. Davenport.

Roof: Arch-braced, trusses and purlins.
Window glass attractive pale green diamond quarries.

Kelly's Directory of Cheshire 1939, states:

"The church of St. David, erected in 1870, is a plain edifice of red brick, consisting of chancel, nave, transept, and a western turret containing one bell: the church affords 150 sittings. The register dates from the year 1820. The benefice is a perpetual curacy, net yearly value £190, including 17 acres of glebe, in the gift of the Vicar of Over, and held since 1936 by the Rev. Ivor Frank James B.A. of St. David's College, Lampeter, who resides at St. David's Parsonage, Alpraham, Tarporley."

Documents relating to this Parish Church, which are now held at the County Record Office, Duke St; Chester are as follows:-

Registers: 1824 - 1867.
Other Papers: 1707 - 1982.

"Inscribed Bricks"

On the north-east corner of the church are to be found a number of bricks imprinted with initials. These are set into the brickwork courses and some are set in the buttress. There are also two more on the west side of the entrance porch. The significance of these bricks is not known and there is no obvious correlation between the initials and the list of subscribers on the following pages. The initials are as follows:-

T.M.R.	E.D.	G. & M. Newark
W.C.	W.W.	H.A.G.
R.C.	C.B.	J.W. 1869
T.M.S.	E.B.
M.B.	T.S.
W.B.D.	F.T.
A.N.B.	F.D.	Porch
S.P.	M.N.	T.C.D.
B.B.	G.H.	S.T.

St David's Church Wettenhall.

The above Church is now approaching completion, and will very shortly be ready for consecration. The sum of £100 is still required to enable the Incumbent (the Rev. J.H. Davies) to open it free of debt. The seats are to be free and unappropriated.

The following is the List of Subscribers, &c, :-

In addition to the above, a little more than £100 was cleared by a Fête held at Calveley Hall (through the kind permission of the Most Noble the Marquis of Westminster.)

This has been transcribed from a faded photo-copy of what appears to be a cutting from an unknown news-paper, the only clue being "Vol. XCVIII. No. 5041" on the heading.