St George's Church, Heaviley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St George's Church, Heaviley
St George's Church, Heaviley, from the east
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OS grid reference	SJ 900,889
Location	Buxton Road, Heaviley, Stockport, Greater Manchester
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St George, Stockport
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint George
Consecrated	25 February 1897
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	10 March 1975
Architect(s)	Hubert Austin
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1893
Completed	1897
Specifications
Capacity	1,401
Length	180 feet (55 m)
Width	75 feet (23 m)
Spire height	236 feet (72 m)
Materials	Runcorn sandstone
Administration
Parish	Stockport, Saint George
Deanery	Stockport
Archdeaconry	Macclesfield
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St George's Church is a beautiful church located in Heaviley, an area of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican church, meaning it's part of the Church of England. It serves as a parish church for the local community.

This church is very special! It's listed as a Grade I building in the National Heritage List for England. This means it's considered a building of great historical and architectural importance. Many experts believe it's the most impressive church in Stockport. Some even say it's "the finest church built in England" since the time of the Reformation (a big change in the church's history).

History of St George's Church

The building of St George's Church began in 1893 when its first stone was laid. It was officially opened and blessed on February 25, 1897. The church was designed by a talented architect named Hubert Austin, from a firm called Paley, Austin and Paley.

A local brewer (someone who makes beer) named George Fearn paid for the church and other nearby buildings. These included the vicarage (where the vicar lives) and schools. The total cost for all these buildings was a huge amount of money for that time, nearly £80,000!

Architecture and Design

Outside the Church

St George's Church is built from red sandstone from Runcorn. Its style is called Perpendicular Gothic, which is a type of Gothic Revival architecture. You can also see small hints of Art Nouveau design.

The church has a long main hall called a nave with a row of windows high up, known as a clerestory. On the sides, there are north and south aisles, and two entrances called porches. A tall tower stands where the nave and the chancel (the area around the altar) meet. The chancel also has a special area called the Lady Chapel and a room for the organ.

The tower has a flat top with a decorated edge and pointed parts called pinnacles at the corners. These pinnacles are connected by flying buttresses to the church's tall spire. The church is about 55 meters (180 feet) long and 23 meters (75 feet) wide. The tower itself is about 34 meters (112 feet) high, and with its spire, it reaches an impressive 72 meters (236 feet) into the sky!

Inside the Church

Inside, you'll find many beautiful features. The reredos, which is a decorated screen behind the altar, is made from white alabaster stone. It has three carved pictures. The middle one shows the Crucifixion, and the other two show the Virgin Mary and Saint John. The baptismal font, used for baptisms, is also made of alabaster and has lovely carvings of plants. Both of these were carved by Robert Bridgeman.

The pulpit, where sermons are given, has six small spaces with statues of important saints like Saint Paul, Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, Saint Luke, Saint John, and Saint Peter. The lectern, where readings are done, is a brass eagle standing on a base supported by lions.

The Lady Chapel is separated from the chancel by a beautifully carved oak screen. It also has an oak reredos with figures of Saint John the Divine and Saint John the Baptist.

The church has amazing stained glass windows. The large windows at the east and west ends, and one window in the south aisle, are all made by a company called Shrigley and Hunt. The east window even shows a picture of Saint George and the Dragon.

The church's organ is very grand. It has three keyboards and was built in 1897. It has been worked on several times since then to keep it sounding wonderful. The organ's wooden case was designed by the church's architect, Hubert Austin. The church also has a set of ten bells, all made in 1896.

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  Nave and roof detail

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  Ceiling features

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  Organ case and pipes

Outside the Church Grounds

In the churchyard, there is a special memorial made of sandstone. It was built around 1920 to remember the soldiers who died in the First World War. It has the names of 137 men carved into it, a tall cross, and a statue of Saint George under a decorated stone canopy. This memorial is also a listed building, at Grade II.

The walls around the churchyard and the gate posts are also listed at Grade II. Even the old vicarage, built around 1920 in the Arts and Crafts style, is a listed building. It's made of red brick with a red tile roof and has two floors.

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  St George's Church, Stockport

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  West window of St George's Church, Stockport

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  East window of St George's Church, Stockport

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  The Great War Cross, St George's Church, Stockport

See also

• Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester
• List of churches in Greater Manchester
• Listed buildings in Stockport
• List of works by Paley, Austin and Paley