St Alban's Church, Broadheath facts for kids

St Alban's Church is a special building located in Broadheath, Altrincham, in Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican church, which means it's part of the Church of England. This church is an important local landmark. It is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building. This means it has historical or architectural importance and is protected.

The Story of St Alban's Church

The very first church services in Broadheath were quite unusual. They happened in 1853 on a canal boat! This boat was on the Bridgewater Canal. Later, in 1871, a school was built. Church services then moved from the boat to the new school building.

The actual church building started to be built in 1899. It was designed by a famous team of architects called Austin and Paley. They were from Lancaster. The church officially opened for people to worship there on November 8, 1900.

A few years later, in 1902, a vestry and a bellcote were added. A vestry is a room in a church where clergy prepare for services. A bellcote is a small structure on the roof that holds a bell. St Alban's became its own separate parish in January 1911. This meant it had its own area and community to serve.

The west end of the church was not fully finished when it first opened. The main part of the church, called the nave, only had two sections. It was finally completed much later, towards the end of the 20th century. Geoff Worsley was the architect who finished this part. The new additions were officially blessed in the year 2000. In 2008, a special immersion font was put into the nave. This font is used for baptisms where a person is fully dipped in water.

What the Church Looks Like

St Alban's Church is built from brick. It has special stone decorations, which are called "stone dressings." The roof is made of clay tiles.

The church's layout includes a main area called the nave. Above the nave, there's a clerestory. This is a high section of wall with windows that let in light. On either side of the nave are north and south aisles. These are like walkways. The church also has north and south transepts, which are parts that stick out from the sides, making the church look like a cross from above. There's also a vestry and a chancel. The chancel is the area near the altar where the clergy sit.

The clerestory windows have three sections of glass. 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 west wall of the church is plain, without any windows. The south transept connects smoothly with the aisle. However, the north transept is taller and holds the bellcote. It has its own roof. The vestry has a roof shaped like a pyramid.

Inside the church, you'll see brick arcades. These are rows of arches. They are supported by tall, eight-sided stone pillars called piers. In the chancel, there are special seats called a sedilia and a basin called a piscina. Both have decorative pointed arches called "ogee-heads." The part of the church that was added in 2000 has doors that lead to offices. The immersion font in the middle of the nave is described as looking like a "narrow swimming pool."