St Mark's Church, Worsley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mark's Church |
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St Mark's Church, Worsley
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| 53°30′07″N 2°23′06″W / 53.502°N 2.385°W | |
| Location | Worsley, Greater Manchester |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Mark's Church |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St Mark |
| Consecrated | 2 July 1846 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | July 1966 |
| Architect(s) | George Gilbert Scott |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1844 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Worsley |
| Deanery | Eccles |
| Archdeaconry | Salford |
| Diocese | Manchester |
| Province | York |
St Mark's Church is a busy Anglican church in Worsley, Greater Manchester, England. It works with two other churches: St Mary's in Ellenbrook and St Andrew in Boothstown. This church is part of the Manchester Diocese. In 1966, it was given a special "Grade I Listed" status. This means it's a very important historic building.
Contents
History of St Mark's Church
The story of St Mark's Church is closely linked to the growth of Worsley. Worsley was a key place during the Industrial Revolution. The Egerton family played a big part in this.
Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere, who inherited from the Duke of Bridgewater, wanted a new church. The Duke of Bridgewater was famous for building the Bridgewater Canal. The Earl asked a famous architect, George Gilbert Scott, to design St Mark's Church.
Building the Church
The church was built on a large piece of land. This land was once called Cross Field on Worsley Brow. It is now part of a special "conservation area." The churchyard has stone walls and special gates called lych gates.
The M60 motorway runs nearby. The church's tall spire is a well-known sight for many drivers. The church was built between 1844 and 1846. It cost about £20,000, which was a huge amount of money back then.
St Mark's was one of the first churches designed by George Gilbert Scott. He designed 470 churches in total. Scott thought St Mark's was one of his best designs. He paid great attention to every small detail.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
The church is made from strong, rough sandstone. Its roofs are covered with slate tiles from Cornwall. Many of the hidden lead parts have been replaced with stainless steel.
The church has a main area called a nave with five sections. It also has a chancel, and aisles on the north and south sides. There is a tall tower at the west end. The bottom of this tower forms the church's entrance porch.
The tower has beautifully carved corner pinnacles. It also has flying buttresses and many carved gargoyles. The spire on top of the tower reaches about 185 feet (56 meters) high.
Inside the Church
Inside, the nave has a special oak ceiling called a "hammer-beam" roof. The chancel is next to the vestry and organ room on one side. On the other side is the Ellesmere Chapel.
The north aisle was added in 1852. Soon after, the Ellesmere Chapel was changed. A family vault was built underneath it, and the chapel was made longer. The chapel was updated again in the 1920s.
The church has twelve beautiful stained-glass windows. These windows show different saints. Two of them were made by the famous artist Edward Burne-Jones. The windows in the aisles were made by Powell's cast glass.
Church Fittings and Furniture
The church has a set of 10 bells. More bells were added in 1934.
The church clock has a unique feature: it strikes thirteen times at 1 o'clock! This was a clever idea from the Duke of Bridgewater. He wanted to make sure his workers didn't come back late from lunch. The clock's special part was moved to the church tower in 1946.
The church's furniture is very high quality. The original oak pews are still there. The pulpit was made by Scott using carved panels he found on his travels. There is also a beautifully decorated limestone font.
In the Ellesmere Chapel, you can find the tomb of Francis Egerton. There are also brass plaques and memorials for other family members. More items were added in the 1880s. These include a fancy Italian marble and mosaic reredos (a screen behind the altar). The choir and sanctuary areas were paved, and carved choir stalls were added. A new lectern was put in place in 1894.
Churchyard and Memorials
The churchyard is the area around the church. It has a memorial for St. Vincent Beechey, who started Rossall School. The churchyard also contains war graves. There are graves for 10 service members from World War I and 18 from World War II.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Greater Manchester
- Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester
- Listed buildings in Worsley
- List of new churches by George Gilbert Scott in Northern England
- List of church restorations, amendments and furniture by John Douglas
Images for kids
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St Mark's Church, Worsley
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Detail of the church's stone exterior
