Grade I listed churches in Greater Manchester facts for kids

Greater Manchester is a big area in North West England. It's like a special region made up of different towns and cities. It was created in 1972 and includes places like Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the cities of Manchester and Salford.

This article lists the most important churches in Greater Manchester. These churches are called "Grade I listed." This means they are super special and important, sometimes even famous around the world! Only about 2.5% of all old buildings get this top rating. The government decides which buildings get this special status.

Churches have been in Greater Manchester for a very long time, since the Anglo-Saxon period. But you won't find many old Saxon parts in these listed churches. Only St Leonard's in Middleton has some very old Norman bits.

Most of the churches on this list are from two main times:

• The Middle Ages: These churches are built in the Gothic style, which means they have pointed arches and tall windows. Examples include Manchester Cathedral and St Mary's in Radcliffe.
• The 1800s and 1900s: Many of these are in the Gothic Revival style, which copied the old Gothic look. Famous architects like George Gilbert Scott and Alfred Waterhouse designed some of them.

There are also a few churches built in between these times, like St Ann's in Manchester, which is in a Neoclassical style. Most churches here are Anglican (Church of England). But there are also two Roman Catholic churches: Holy Name of Jesus and All Saints. There's even one built for Christian Scientists, called the Edgar Wood Centre.

Greater Manchester is mostly a city area, with lots of people living close together. In the late 1700s, the Industrial Revolution helped Manchester and its nearby areas grow a lot. Factories and businesses became very important. Not many buildings from before this time are left, but there are many from the 1800s and 1900s. The churches here are often built from local stone like sandstone, which is found underground. Clay, used for making bricks, is also common.

Churches in Greater Manchester

Name	Location	Photograph	Notes
St Michael and All Angels	Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside 53°29′16″N 2°05′23″W / 53.4877°N 2.0897°W / 53.4877; -2.0897 (St Michael, Ashton-under-Lyne)		This church started in the 1400s, but it was mostly rebuilt in the 1800s. The north side was partly rebuilt in 1821. From 1841 to 1845, Richard Tattersall rebuilt the south wall. He also fixed the inside pillars, pews, and galleries. Later, in 1886–88, J. S. Crowther built the west tower. The church is mainly in the Perpendicular style. Twenty windows have medieval stained glass from around 1497 to 1512. These were given by Sir Thomas Assheton and show scenes from the life of Saint Helen.
St Mary	Cheadle, Stockport 53°23′39″N 2°13′03″W / 53.3942°N 2.2175°W / 53.3942; -2.2175 (St George, Heaviley)		St Mary's was mostly built between 1520 and 1550. It is completely in the Perpendicular style. The church was repaired and updated in the 1800s, including work by J. Medland Taylor in 1878–80. At the west end, there is a tower with a castellated top, like a castle wall. Inside, the roof has a special shape called a camber beam and is decorated with gold-covered bosses (carved decorations). The church also has statues from the 1400s and 1600s.
Holy Name of Jesus	Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester 53°27′52″N 2°13′52″W / 53.4644°N 2.2311°W / 53.4644; -2.2311 (Holy Name of Jesus, Manchester)		This is a Roman Catholic church built from 1869 to 1871. It was designed by Joseph Aloysius Hansom and his son. The octagonal (eight-sided) top of the tower was finished in 1928 by Adrian Gilbert Scott. The church is made of sandstone with slate roofs. Inside, terracotta (a type of clay) is used for the rib vaulting (curved ceilings) and some decorations. The main altar, pulpit (where sermons are given), font (for baptisms), and screens in the baptistery were all designed by the younger Hansom.
St Mary the Virgin	Eccles, Salford 53°29′02″N 2°20′00″W / 53.4839°N 2.3334°W / 53.4839; -2.3334 (St Mary, Eccles)		The oldest parts of this church are from the 1200s. Changes and additions were made in the 1300s, 1400s, and 1500s, especially in the 1400s. The chancel (the area around the altar) was rebuilt in 1862–63 by J. P. Holden. The roof of the nave (the main part of the church) is considered its best feature. It has a coffered (sunken panel) design and is decorated with fancy bosses, some shaped like sunbursts.
St Anne	Haughton, Denton, Tameside 53°26′46″N 2°06′16″W / 53.4461°N 2.1044°W / 53.4461; -2.1044 (St Anne, Haughton)		This church was built from 1880 to 1882. It was designed by J. Medland Taylor and Henry Taylor for Joseph Sidebotham, a local businessman. It's made of red brick with tiled roofs. The church has a cross shape (like a crucifix). Above the middle of the church is a large tower with a pyramid-shaped roof. On top of that is a wooden bell section with a pyramid-shaped spire that has small window openings. The marguerite flower, a symbol of Saint Anne, is used a lot in the church's decorations.
St George	Heaviley, Stockport 53°23′50″N 2°09′06″W / 53.3972°N 2.1518°W / 53.3972; -2.1518 (St George, Heaviley)		St George's was built between 1893 and 1897. It was designed by Hubert Austin from the architectural firm Paley, Austin and Paley. It's in the Perpendicular style, with some Art Nouveau (a decorative art style) features. The church has a tower in the middle, where the arms of the cross shape meet. This tower has a tall spire that reaches 236 feet (72 meters) high. Experts say it's "by far the grandest church of Stockport."
Manchester Cathedral	Manchester 53°29′07″N 2°14′40″W / 53.4853°N 2.2444°W / 53.4853; -2.2444 (Manchester Cathedral)		This building started as a collegiate church (a church with a college of clergy) in 1421. It became a cathedral in 1847. It's made of sandstone, mostly built in the 1400s and 1500s, and is in the Perpendicular style. It was repaired many times in the 1800s by different architects. The tower was made taller, and the nave arcades (rows of arches) were rebuilt. A west porch was added. The cathedral was damaged by bombs in 1940 but was later fixed.
St Ann	Manchester 53°28′54″N 2°14′45″W / 53.4817°N 2.2458°W / 53.4817; -2.2458 (St Ann, Manchester)		St Ann's was built from 1709 to 1712 in a Neoclassical style. This style looks back to ancient Greek and Roman buildings. It has a six-bay nave (main part) with a rounded apse (a curved end) at the east. There's a tower at the west end. The tower originally had a three-part dome, but this was removed in 1777. It was replaced with a balustraded parapet (a low wall with decorative posts). The church was updated and repaired by Alfred Waterhouse from 1887 to 1891. Inside, there are galleries on three sides, held up by Tuscan columns. The stained glass in the apse was designed by Frederic Shields.
St Leonard	Middleton, Rochdale 53°33′12″N 2°11′40″W / 53.5532°N 2.1945°W / 53.5532; -2.1945 (St Leonard, Middleton)		This church is on a hill. It has some very old Norman material (from the time of the Normans) in the arch of the tower. It was rebuilt in 1412 by Bishop Thomas Langley, and again in 1524 by Sir Richard Assheton. More changes were made in the 1600s and 1800s. From 1957 to 1960, George Pace added vestries (rooms for clergy) and a porch. A special part of the church is the weatherboarded (covered with overlapping wooden boards) belfry (bell tower) on top of the main tower, which dates from 1667.
St Augustine	Pendlebury, Salford 53°30′40″N 2°19′19″W / 53.5111°N 2.3219°W / 53.5111; -2.3219 (St Augustine, Pendlebury)		G. F. Bodley designed this church for a banker named Edward Stanley Heywood. It was built from 1870 to 1874 on a concrete base. This was to stop damage from mining underground. It cost a lot of money, £33,000! The church is made of brick with stone details and tiled roofs. The buttresses (supports on the outside walls) are actually inside the church. They go up through the roof and have small gables (pointed roof sections) on top. Many of the inside decorations were designed by Bodley, including the large and fancy reredos (a screen behind the altar). The chancel walls have paintings and stencilling.
St Mary	Prestwich, Bury 53°31′46″N 2°17′12″W / 53.5294°N 2.2866°W / 53.5294; -2.2866 (St Mary, Prestwich)		There has been a church on this spot since at least 1200. But the oldest part of the church you see today is the tower, from the 1400s. The nave and aisles (side sections) are from the 1500s. The south porch was added in 1865. Then two chapels were added in 1874–75. From 1888 to 1889, architects Paley, Austin and Paley replaced the chancel, added a small turret (small tower) at the east end, and rebuilt the north chapel. The same architects also designed many of the inside decorations. Among the monuments (memorials) is one by Sievier.
St Mary	Radcliffe, Bury 53°33′52″N 2°18′29″W / 53.5644°N 2.3081°W / 53.5644; -2.3081 (St Mary, Radcliffe)		This church dates from the 1300s. The tower is probably from the 1400s and was repaired in 1665. The chancel was rebuilt in 1817. J. Medland Taylor carried out repairs and added parts in 1870 and 1905. These included replacing the south transept (the "arms" of a cross-shaped church) with an aisle. This made the church almost square.
St Elisabeth	Reddish, Stockport 53°26′17″N 2°09′48″W / 53.4380°N 2.1633°W / 53.4380; -2.1633 (St Nary, Reddish)		Designed by Alfred Waterhouse, this church was built from 1882 to 1883 for Sir William Houldsworth. It's made of red brick with stone stripes and details. Outside the east end of the south aisle (side section) is a tower. It's connected to the main church by a bridge. The tower has a lead-covered spire on top. At the east end of the church is a rounded apsidal chancel (curved end around the altar), with a Lady chapel and a vestry (room for clergy) on either side.
St Edmund	Rochdale 53°37′15″N 2°09′57″W / 53.6209°N 2.1658°W / 53.6209; -2.1658 (St Edmund, Rochdale)		The church was built from 1870 to 1873. It was designed by J. Medland Taylor for Albert Hudson Royds, a local banker and important Freemason. It's made of sandstone with tiled roofs and cost £28,000. The church has a cross shape with a tower in the middle. It's special because it mixes Gothic Revival features with symbols of Freemasonry. The church closed in 2009 and is now looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust.
St Mary in the Baum	Rochdale 53°37′08″N 2°09′31″W / 53.6188°N 2.1585°W / 53.6188; -2.1585 (St Mary in the Baum, Rochdale)		This church opened in 1909. It was designed by Ninian Comper as a cheaper way to replace an older chapel from 1742. The unusual name "Baum" comes from medicinal herbs (like lemon balm or white mint) that used to grow wild in the area.
Edgar Wood Centre	Rusholme, Manchester 53°27′28″N 2°12′58″W / 53.4579°N 2.2162°W / 53.4579; -2.2162 (Edgar Wood Centre, Manchester)		This was the first church in Britain for the Christian Scientists. It was built from 1903 to 1904, with more parts added from 1905 to 1907. Its design is Expressionist (a style that shows feelings) with Art Nouveau (a decorative art style) details. It's made of brick, partly covered in stucco (plaster), and has a very steep roof. The front entrance has a window shaped like a cross and an entrance under a rounded arch. There are two wings, one of which is a small turret with a cone-shaped roof. Along the sides of the church are dormer windows (windows that stick out from the roof). The building is now used by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.
All Saints	Stand, Whitefield, Bury 53°33′00″N 2°17′55″W / 53.5501°N 2.2986°W / 53.5501; -2.2986 (All Saints, Stand)		All Saints was built from 1821 to 1826 as a Commissioners' church (funded by a special government grant). It was designed by Charles Barry, and this was his very first project! The church is tall and has been called "fanciful" Gothic. It has a rectangular shape with a slanted canted apse (a curved or angled end) at the east. There's a tower at the west end. Many of the inside decorations are by Austin and Paley, and one of the monuments is by Sievier.
St Wilfrid	Standish, Wigan 53°35′12″N 2°39′45″W / 53.5868°N 2.6625°W / 53.5868; -2.6625 (St Wilfrid, Standish)		St Wilfrid's was mostly rebuilt around 1582–84, replacing an older church. A new tower was added in 1867. In 1913–14, the east vestry (room for clergy) was built by Austin and Paley. The west tower has an eight-sided bell section. Inside the church, the arcades (rows of arches) are held up by Tuscan columns. These are probably the first full-size Tuscan columns used in England. The church also has a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) and an aumbry (a cupboard for sacred vessels) from the 1200s or 1300s, and monuments from the 1300s.
St Mary	Stockport 53°24′40″N 2°09′20″W / 53.4112°N 2.1555°W / 53.4112; -2.1555 (St Mary, Stockport)		The chancel (area around the altar) and the northeast chapel are from the 1300s. They are in the Decorated style. The rest of the church was rebuilt between 1813 and 1817 in the Perpendicular style. Changes were made in 1881–82 by J. S. Crowther. In the chancel, there is a sedilia (seats for clergy), a double piscina, and an Easter Sepulchre (a place for a statue of Christ). There's another piscina in the chapel. The church also has several monuments, including one by Richard Westmacott.
St Thomas	Stockport 53°24′13″N 2°09′18″W / 53.4036°N 2.1550°W / 53.4036; -2.1550 (St Thomas, Stockport)		This was a Commissioners' church and an early design by George Basevi. It's in the Greek Revival style, which looks like ancient Greek temples. At the east end, there's a large portico (a porch with columns) held up by six Ionic columns. At the west end is a clock tower. The church was updated by T. H. Allen in 1881, and the chancel was redesigned by J. Medland Taylor in 1890. Inside, there are galleries on three sides, supported by Corinthian columns.
All Saints	Urmston, Trafford 53°28′24″N 2°21′11″W / 53.4734°N 2.3530°W / 53.4734; -2.3530 (All Saints, Urmston)		E. W. Pugin designed this Roman Catholic church. It was built from 1867 to 1868 for Sir Humphrey de Trafford. The building started in 1863 as a family mausoleum (a grand tomb), which later became the church's north chapel. It used to be a parish church (serving a local area), but now it's used as a friary for the Friars Minor Conventual. At the west end of the church, there's a large rose window (a circular stained glass window) and a bell-tower that looks like a flèche (a slender spire). This church is thought to be E. W. Pugin's best work.
St Werburgh Old Church	Warburton, Trafford 53°24′08″N 2°27′26″W / 53.4021°N 2.4573°W / 53.4021; -2.4573 (Old St Werburgh, Warburton)		This church is mostly made of wood, but some parts are stone, and others are brick. The west front and south aisle are dated 1645, though some parts might be even older. The brick tower at the east end is from 1711. More changes have been made since then. Inside, there's a font from 1603, a Jacobean pulpit (from the early 1600s), and a three-sided communion rail from the 1600s. The church is now no longer used for regular services and is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust.
St Mark	Worsley, Salford 53°30′10″N 2°23′01″W / 53.5028°N 2.3837°W / 53.5028; -2.3837 (St Mark, Worsley)		St Mark's was designed by George Gilbert Scott for Francis Egerton, the first Earl of Ellesmere. It was built from 1845 to 1846. The north aisle was added in 1851. Its style is Gothic Revival, like churches from the 1300s. The west steeple (tower with a spire) has a spire that is set back, with flying buttresses (arched supports) and decorated with crockets (leafy carvings), gargoyles (carved figures), and lucarnes (small dormer windows). Inside, the fancy pulpit and organ case have carved French and Flemish panels from the 1600s. There's also a monument to Egerton, designed by Scott, with a statue (effigy) by Matthew Noble.