Holy Trinity Platt Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holy Trinity Platt Church |
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| Holy Trinity Church, Rusholme | |
Holy Trinity Platt Church from the south
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| OS grid reference | SJ 851,948 |
| Location | Platt Lane, Rusholme, Manchester |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Holy Trinity |
| Consecrated | 26 June 1846 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 18 December 1963 |
| Architect(s) | Edmund Sharpe |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1845 |
| Completed | 1912 |
| Specifications | |
| Spire height | 170 feet (52 m) |
| Materials | Terracotta, slate roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Holy Trinity at Rusholme |
| Deanery | Hulme |
| Archdeaconry | Manchester |
| Diocese | Manchester |
| Province | York |
Holy Trinity Platt Church is a special church located in Platt Fields Park in Rusholme, Manchester, England. It is also known as Holy Trinity Church, Rusholme. This church is still active today. It is an Anglican parish church, which means it serves a local community.
The church is very important. It is listed as a Grade II* listed building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is a building of more than special interest. Holy Trinity Platt Church is famous for being a "pot church." This nickname comes from its main building material: terracotta. It was one of the first churches designed by Edmund Sharpe to use so much terracotta.
Contents
Building the Church: A Quick Look at Its History
The church was built between 1845 and 1846. It was designed by an architect named Edmund Sharpe from Lancaster. A man named Thomas Carrill Worsley, who lived at Platt Hall, wanted this church built. His family's old chapel had become a Unitarian chapel, and he wanted an Anglican church.
Thomas Worsley was in a race to build the first Anglican church in the area. Another person, Mr. Anson, was also building a church nearby. Thomas Worsley made sure Holy Trinity was officially opened, or consecrated, before it was even finished! This happened on June 26, 1846. He named it Holy Trinity to show his strong belief against the Unitarians.
The church cost about £4,000 to build, not including the stained glass windows. When it was new, it could hold between 650 and 700 people.
The "Pot Church" Material
This church was Edmund Sharpe's second "pot church." The main material, terracotta, was supplied by a company owned by Sharpe's brother-in-law, John Fletcher. However, there was a disagreement about the cost. So, a different company supplied the terracotta for the church's tall spire.
The spire was not finished until 1850. Sadly, the terracotta used for the spire was not as good as the rest. Because of this, the spire had to be replaced much later, in 1912. In the 1960s, a church hall was added to the side of the church.
Church Design: What It Looks Like
Outside the Church
The church uses terracotta on both the inside and outside. It's made to look like stone, even having special marks like those stone masons used. The roof is made of slate. The church is built in the Decorated Gothic style, which was popular a long time ago.
The church has a long main area called a nave with five sections. It also has a clerestory, which is a row of windows high up. There's a tall steeple on the southwest side. The church also has side areas called aisles, a chancel (the area near the altar), and two porches.
The steeple is very tall, about 170 feet (52 meters) high. It has three main parts and strong buttresses to support it. At the top, it has a battlement (like a castle wall) and pointed pinnacles. The tall, eight-sided spire is held up by flying buttresses, which are like stone arms reaching out.
Inside the Church
Inside, you'll see that terracotta is used everywhere, even for the columns that support the arcades (rows of arches). The font, where baptisms take place, is made of stone and has eight sides.
The beautiful stained glass windows in the chancel were put in between 1849 and 1850. They are a memorial to the Worsley family, who helped build the church. In the north aisle, there is another stained glass window from 1871. It was made by a company called Lavers, Barraud and Westlake.
See also
- List of architectural works by Edmund Sharpe
- Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester
- Listed buildings in Manchester-M14
