St Philip's Church, Alderley Edge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Philip and St James Church, Alderley Edge |
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St Philip's Church, Alderley Edge, from the south
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| OS grid reference | SJ 841 786 |
| Location | Alderley Edge, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | http://www.stphilipandstjames.co.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St Philip and St James |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 6 July 1984 |
| Architect(s) | J. S. Crowther F. P. Oakley |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1853 |
| Completed | 1903 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, slate roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Alderley Edge |
| Deanery | Knutsford |
| Archdeaconry | Macclesfield |
| Diocese | Chester |
| Province | York |
St Philip's Church is a beautiful old church in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, England. It's a special building, listed as Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a very important historical building. The church is still active today, serving as an Anglican (Church of England) parish church. A famous historian named Nikolaus Pevsner once said it looked "large, ambitious, and unmistakably prosperous".
Contents
History of St Philip's Church
How the Church Was Built
St Philip's Church was designed by an architect from Manchester named J. S. Crowther. This was his very first big project!
The church was built in stages:
- In 1851–1852, the main part of the church, called the nave, along with the south aisle (a side section) and the chancel (the area around the altar), were constructed.
- Later, in 1856–1857, the north aisle was added. They also extended the church a bit more to the west and built a tall steeple on the south side.
- Finally, in 1903, a vestry (a room used by the clergy) was added. This part was designed by F. P. Oakley.
Architecture of St Philip's Church
What the Outside Looks Like
The church is built from strong, rough sandstone with smooth stone details. The roof is made of slate tiles in three different colours, which looks really cool! The church's style is called Decorated Gothic, which means it has lots of fancy details.
The church has a long main hall (the nave) with six sections, and side sections (aisles) on both the north and south sides. It also has a chancel, a hexagon-shaped vestry, and a tall tower with a spire on the southwest side. The tower has four levels and strong corner supports called buttresses. The spire has three levels of small windows called lucarnes.
What the Inside Looks Like
Inside the church, you'll find many interesting features:
- In the north wall of the chancel, there's a sedilia, which is a set of seats for the clergy.
- In the south wall, there's a piscina, a basin used for washing sacred vessels.
- The carved reredos (a screen behind the altar) from 1903 shows a picture of the Last Supper.
- The choir stalls, pulpit (where sermons are given), and organ screen were all made in 1907. They are all made of wood panels and were designed by Percy Worthington.
- In the south aisle, there's a beautiful stained glass window from 1873, made by Morris & Co.. Some of the figures in the window were designed by famous artists like Edward Burne-Jones and Ford Madox Brown.
- Other windows in the church were made between 1933 and 1935 by Powells.
- The church has a large organ with three keyboards (manuals). It was first built by Wadsworth of Manchester and then rebuilt in 1962 by Jardine and Company, also from Manchester.
Images for kids
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St Philip's Church, Alderley Edge, from the south
