Holy Trinity Church, Southport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Holy Trinity Church, Southport
Holy Trinity Church, Southport, from the northeast
Holy Trinity Church, Southport Location in Merseyside
53°39′01″N 2°59′48″W / 53.6502°N 2.9967°W / 53.6502; -2.9967
OS grid reference	SD 342 175
Location	Hoghton Street, Southport, Sefton, Merseyside
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
History
Status	Parish church
Consecrated	12 March 1912
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	15 November 1972
Architect(s)	Huon Matear
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival (Decorated)
Groundbreaking	1904
Completed	1913 (1913)
Specifications
Length	157 feet (47.9 m)
Width	70 feet (21.3 m)
Spire height	142 feet (43.3 m) (tower)
Materials	Red brick, Bath stone, Portland stone, Slate roofs
Administration
Parish	Holy Trinity, Southport
Deanery	North Meols
Archdeaconry	Warrington
Diocese	Liverpool
Province	York

Holy Trinity Church is a beautiful old church in Southport, England. It's an Anglican parish church, which means it's part of the Church of England and serves the local community. This church is also a special listed building, called Grade II*.

The church was built in the early 1900s. A famous architect named Huon Matear designed it. He used a style called "Decorated Gothic," which has lots of fancy details. The church is mostly made of red brick. Its tall tower has amazing stone decorations at the top. Inside, many of the beautiful items were made by a group called the Bromsgrove Guild.

History of Holy Trinity Church

Southport started as a small area with just a few homes. It didn't become a town until the late 1700s. Before that, the main settlement nearby was called Churchtown. The area where Holy Trinity Church now stands was part of Churchtown's parish.

In 1821, a new church called Christ Church was built. At that time, people in Southport met in a simple building with a thatched roof, known as Halls Chapel. As more people moved to Southport, they needed a bigger church. So, the first Holy Trinity Church was built in 1836. It was officially opened on November 1, 1837.

This first church was quite small. It was about 58 feet (17.8 meters) long and 45 feet (13.9 meters) wide. In 1840, they added an organ and a balcony inside. The church was also made longer by 12 feet (3.7 meters). A clock was put on the tower in 1847, and more parts were added between 1860 and 1862.

Building the New Church

Later, the first church became too small for everyone who wanted to attend. In 1893, people decided to build a brand new church on the same spot. Huon Matear, an architect from Liverpool, was chosen to design it.

On November 1, 1903, a company called Woods of Bolton signed a contract to build the main part of the church, called the nave. The first stone was laid on January 12, 1904. This was done by Mrs. Elder, whose family owned a big shipping company. The completed nave was officially opened on December 15, 1904.

Work continued on the rest of the church. The transept (the part that crosses the main body of the church) and two porches were finished in 1911. The main body of the church was completed and opened on March 12, 1912. The tower was the last part to be finished, in February 1913.

Building the church was very expensive. Local people gave a lot of money to help. The Elder family paid for the nave, the tower, and the front of the church. Joseph Mullineaux Dewhurst, who made cotton, paid for the chancel (the area around the altar). The Lady chapel (a small chapel) was paid for by W. B. Taylor and J. A. Grundy. It was an amazing effort by the community!

Architecture of Holy Trinity

Outside the Church

Holy Trinity Church is covered with red bricks. It has special stone details made from Bath stone and Portland stone. The roof is made of green slate. The tall, pointed parts at the corners, called pinnacles, have been replaced with fibreglass.

The architect described the church's style as a "free treatment of the late Decorated Period." This means it uses ideas from a fancy Gothic style but with some new twists. The church has a main area (nave), side sections (aisles), a crossing part (transept), and a special area for the altar (chancel). There's also a small chapel and a tower.

The church is about 157 feet (47.9 meters) long and 70 feet (21.3 meters) wide. The tower stands very tall at 142 feet (43.3 meters) high. The tower has four levels. The bottom two levels are brick with stone bands. The top two levels are all stone and are highly decorated. It has strong supports called buttresses that go up to the pinnacles.

The tower has fancy doorways. One on the north side has a carved arch. Another on the west side has a gable decorated with wheat. The top parts of the tower are very ornate. Each side has an arch with openings for bells and a clock face. There's also an open balcony and a small pointed gable at the top. The very top of the tower is octagonal (eight-sided) and has decorative patterns.

The front of the church has two tall, eight-sided towers. They are connected by an arch. Below the arch are two windows and a balcony. On the south side of the church, there is a porch. The side sections (aisles) have four large windows, each with four lights (sections of glass). The north side has similar windows and a transept with two gables, each having three-light windows. The chancel has three sections with flying buttresses over the chapel.

Inside the Church

Inside, the columns and the chancel are made of Runcorn stone. The roof is made of pitch pine wood. The walls are exposed brick, showing their natural beauty. The arches that separate the main area from the side aisles are very tall and rest on eight-sided columns.

Most of the beautiful items inside the church were made by the Bromsgrove Guild. Some were also designed by the architect, Matear.

• The reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) from 1921 has a beautifully carved frame. It holds paintings by Sidney Meteyard and sculptures by Walter Gilbert.
• The rood screen (a screen separating the chancel from the nave) includes the pulpit (where sermons are given) and a sounding board (a canopy above the pulpit). It is carved with vines, birds, and snails.
• The furniture in the choir area is also carved with dragons, ravens, and angels playing trumpets.
• The font (where baptisms happen) is made of white marble on a black marble base. It has symbols of the Four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).
• In the north aisle, there is a wooden screen with glass and decorative patterns.

Some of the windows in the south aisle have stained glass from the older church. There is also a window from 1898 by Percy Bacon Brothers and a memorial window for the First World War by Barrowclough and Sanders. The north aisle has a window from 1929 by H. G. Hiller showing the Adoration of the Magi. In the transept, there is a window by the Powells showing Christ in Glory. The chapel has a set of windows by A. J. Davies of the Bromsgrove Guild, including one of the Crucifixion. In the chancel, there is another Christ in Glory window by Shrigley and Hunt, and an Annunciation window from 1914 by Wilhelmina Geddes.

Organ and Choir

The church from the northwest

The first Holy Trinity Church had a large pipe organ with four keyboards, built in 1840. The current church also had a four-keyboard organ by Willis. Later, in 1923, another four-keyboard organ was installed by Willis and Lewis.

In 1982, the organ's control panel was updated. Speakers were put in the organ loft, and some of the original pipes were moved. There is also a smaller organ in the church. A brand new Makin Westmorland Custom 4–74 organ was installed in October 2010. It was officially dedicated on November 7 by the Bishop of Warrington.

The main choir at Holy Trinity is made up of boys and men. There is also a chapel choir of women who sometimes sing with the male choir. The choir sings at Sunday services and also at a special evening service called choral evensong on Wednesdays. This is quite special because, apart from the two cathedrals, Holy Trinity is the only church in the area that regularly has a full choral evensong during the week. Besides singing in services, the choir also performs in concerts, including at the Trinity Arts Festival.

Present Day Activities

Holy Trinity is a busy and active Anglican parish church. It is part of the Diocese of Liverpool. The church holds services every Sunday and also during the week, including the choral evensong on Wednesdays. It has a Sunday club for children, where they can learn and have fun. The church also supports groups like Sea Scouts and Guides, helping young people in the community.

Special Recognition

On November 15, 1972, Holy Trinity Church was given a special status as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's considered a "particularly important building of more than special interest." Only about 5.5% of all listed buildings in England are given this high grade. It shows how important and unique Holy Trinity Church is!

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Merseyside
• Listed buildings in Southport