St Alban's Church, Broadheath facts for kids

St Alban's Church is a special old building in Lindsell Road, Broadheath, Altrincham, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, which means it's a local church for people who follow the Anglican faith. The church is part of the diocese of Chester. It is also officially recognized as a Grade II listed building. This means it's an important historical place that needs to be protected.

The Story of St Alban's Church

Early Beginnings: Church Services on a Boat

The very first church services in Broadheath were held in a very unusual place! In 1853, people gathered for worship on a canal boat. This boat was floating on the Bridgewater Canal.

Moving to a School and Building the Church

Later, in 1871, a school was built in the area. The church services then moved from the canal boat to this new school building. The actual building of St Alban's Church started in 1899.

Designing and Opening the Church Building

The church was designed by a famous team of architects called Austin and Paley. They were from Lancaster. The church officially opened for people to worship in on 8 November 1900. A few years later, in 1902, a small room called a vestry and a tower for bells, known as a bellcote, were added.

Becoming Its Own Parish and Later Additions

In January 1911, St Alban's became its own parish. This meant it was a main church for its local area. The west end of the church was not fully finished when it first opened. It was completed much later, around the year 2000. Geoff Worsley was the architect who designed these new parts. These additions were officially blessed in 2000. In 2008, a special font was put into the main part of the church. This font is used for baptisms where people can be fully immersed in water.

Looking at the Church's Design

Materials and Overall Shape

St Alban's Church is built using bricks, with special stone details. Its roof is made from clay tiles. The church has a main area called a nave with high windows, and narrower parts on the sides called aisles. It also has parts that stick out on the north and south sides, known as transepts. There's a vestry (a room for clergy) and a chancel (the area near the altar).

Windows and Special Features

The high windows in the nave have three sections each. The windows along the sides of the aisles have four sections. The large window at the east end of the church has five sections. The wall at the west end of the church is plain, without windows. The south transept looks like a continuation of the aisle. However, the north transept is taller and holds the bellcote. The vestry has a roof shaped like a pyramid.

Inside the Church: Arches and More

Inside St Alban's, you'll see brick arches. These arches are supported by stone pillars that have eight sides. In the chancel, there are special seats called a sedilia and a basin called a piscina. Both of these have decorative pointed arches above them. The part of the church that was added in 2000 has doors that lead to offices. The special font for immersion baptisms looks like a small, narrow swimming pool in the middle of the nave.

More to Explore

• Listed buildings in Altrincham
• List of churches in Greater Manchester
• List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1916–44)