St Elisabeth's Church, Reddish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Elisabeth's Church |
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| Website | www.saintelisabeths.com |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Elisabeth |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed building |
| Designated | 30 October 1973 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Manchester |
| Province | York |
St. Elisabeth's Church is a special church located in Reddish, England. It's in an area called Stockport, near Manchester. A famous architect named Alfred Waterhouse designed it. The church looks like old Gothic buildings from the Victorian era. It's also a very important historical building, known as a grade I listed building. This means it's protected because of its unique history and design.
Contents
Church Design and History
Building a Grand Church
A local mill owner, Sir William Henry Houldsworth, wanted to build this church. He asked Alfred Waterhouse to design it in the 1870s. The church was built between 1881 and 1883. Sir William paid for the entire building himself.
Opening Day
The church officially opened on August 4, 1883. Bishop James Fraser led the special ceremony. The church was big enough to hold 750 people. Sir William named it after his wife, Elisabeth.
Unique Features
The church is made from Openshaw brick with special Wrexham stone details. A famous expert, Nikolaus Pevsner, called it "a superb job." It has a tall belltower that is almost separate from the main church. This tower holds eight bells made by John Taylor Bellfounders. Six of these bells were blessed on May Day in 1897.
Amazing Transport Story
The huge pillars that hold up the church's roof are quite special. They were brought from a nearby canal to the building site. Guess how? On the backs of elephants! These elephants came from the Belle Vue Zoo. Inside, there is a beautiful marble screen. It has four figures on top, which might be the four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Modern Art Inside
In 1983, the church added some very modern art. These are the Stations of the Cross, created by Graeme Willson. They show scenes from the story of Jesus. What's cool is that they also include local views. You can spot places like the Stockport Viaduct and Pendlebury Hall in Stockport.
Church Services
What is Anglo-Catholic?
St. Elisabeth's is an Anglo-Catholic church. This means it's a "high church" within the Church of England. It has more traditional styles of worship. Sir William Houldsworth, who built the church, believed in this style of worship.
Weekly Services
The church holds several services each week. The main service is called the Sung Mass. It takes place every Sunday at 10:30 in the morning. The first leader of the church was Rev Addison Crofton. Rev Edmund Oldfield took over in 1893.
Church Music
The Grand Organ
The church has a large organ that makes beautiful music. It was first built by William Hill & Son of London. The order for the organ was placed in 1882. However, it wasn't fully finished until 1885. This organ had three keyboards and pedals. It used a special air system to connect the player's console to the pipes.
Organ's Journey Through Time
The organ was rebuilt in 1929 by Wadsworth Brothers of Manchester. Later, in the late 1960s, a local company tried to rebuild it again. This attempt was not very successful, and the organ became much smaller. Luckily, in 2017, a company named F H Browne from Canterbury rebuilt and improved it. They used some of the original pipes that had been stored away. Now, the organ has 30 working stops and sounds wonderful again.
The Rectory Building
The rectory is the house where the church's leader used to live. It was also designed by Alfred Waterhouse. This building was constructed in 1874. The rectory and the walls around the south and west sides of the church are also important historical buildings. They are listed as Grade II* buildings.
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