St Mary's Church, Stockport Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Stockport
St Mary's Church, Stockport, from the south
53°24′40″N 2°09′20″W / 53.411234°N 2.155514°W / 53.411234; -2.155514
OS grid reference	SJ 898 905
Location	Stockport, Greater Manchester
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Central
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	14 May 1952
Architect(s)	Lewis Wyatt
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic
Completed	1817
Specifications
Materials	Chancel sandstone Rest of church limestone
Administration
Parish	Stockport and Brinnington
Deanery	Stockport
Archdeaconry	Macclesfield
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St Mary's Church is the oldest parish church in the town of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It stands in Churchgate, looking out over the market place. The church is a very important building, listed as Grade I in the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a historic building that needs to be protected. St Mary's is an active Anglican church, part of the diocese of Chester.

History of St Mary's Church
Architecture and Design
- How the Church is Built
- Inside the Church
Outside the Church
Gallery
See also

History of St Mary's Church

A church has stood on this spot since at least 1190. The oldest part of the current church is the chancel, which is the area around the altar. This part was built from sandstone between 1306 and 1320, when Richard de Vernon was in charge of the church.

Most of the church you see today was built much later, between 1813 and 1817. It was designed by an architect named Lewis Wyatt. Over the years, the church has been repaired and updated. For example, in 1848, some parts were replaced because the stone had worn away. More repairs happened in 1882. The church's tower is also very old, first built in the 1300s, then rebuilt in 1612–1616, and again in 1810.

Architecture and Design

How the Church is Built

The chancel of St Mary's Church is made from local red sandstone and shows a style called decorated Gothic. The rest of the church is built from Runcorn sandstone in a perpendicular Gothic style.

The church has a tower at the west end, a large main area called the nave with balconies, a porch on the south side, and the chancel with a room for the clergy (vestry) next to it.

Inside the Church

The roof of the chancel is the original timber roof. In the sanctuary, which is the most sacred part, you can see a double piscina (a basin for washing communion vessels) and a large triple sedilia (seats for the clergy). There's also a damaged statue of Richard de Vernon, who was the church's rector from 1306 to 1334.

The church has many memorials for important people. These include a monument from 1753 by Daniel Sephton for William Wright. Other memorials feature sculptures by famous artists like Sir Richard Westmacott. One shows a woman standing by an urn, and another shows a seated figure. There are also memorials by Bacon Junior and S. Manning, and by Latham of Manchester.

Above the chancel arch, you can see the coat of arms of King George III made from plaster. The church's parish registers, which record births, marriages, and deaths, go all the way back to 1584.

The church has a set of 10 bells. Seven of these were made by John Rudhall in 1817, and the other three were made by John Taylor & Co in 1897.

Outside the Church

The main gateway to the church and a drinking fountain nearby are also important historic structures. The gateway was designed by Lewis Wyatt and has three pointed archways with decorative tops.

A house for the church's rectors (called a rectory) was built in 1744. It was used by rectors and later bishops until the 1950s. Today, it's part of a hotel and is also a listed building. There's even an old ice house in the church grounds.