St. Elisabeth's Church (Reddish)
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St. Elisabeth's Church is an Anglo Catholic church in Reddish,
Stockport Stockport is a town and borough in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt and Tame merge to create the River Mersey here. Most of the town is within ...
designed by
Alfred Waterhouse Alfred Waterhouse (19 July 1830 – 22 August 1905) was an English architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, although he designed using other architectural styles as well. He is perhaps best known f ...
in the Victorian Gothic style. It is a grade I listed building.


Architecture

Local mill-owner Sir William Houldsworth commissioned
Alfred Waterhouse Alfred Waterhouse (19 July 1830 – 22 August 1905) was an English architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, although he designed using other architectural styles as well. He is perhaps best known f ...
in the 1870s. Construction took place between 1881 and 1883, paid for entirely by Houldsworth, with consecration on 4 August 1883 by Bishop James Fraser. The church could hold 750 people and was named after Houldsworth's wife. Described by Pevsner as "a superb job, big-boned, with nothing mean outside or in", the church is of Openshaw brick with Wrexham stone dressings. An almost separate belltower contains eight bells cast by
Taylor Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) **List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) Plac ...
. Six of the bells were dedicated by Bishop
Francis Cramer-Roberts Francis Alexander Randal Cranmer Cramer-Roberts (né Roberts; 3 December 18409 February 1901) was an Anglican priest and colonial bishop in the 19th century. Early life Cramer-Roberts was born in Dublin in 1841, the son of Lieut-Col. John Crame ...
on May Day 1897. Pillars supporting the nave's roof were transported from the nearby canal to the site on the backs of elephants from
Belle Vue Zoo Belle Vue Zoological Gardens was a large zoo, amusement park, exhibition hall complex and speedway stadium in Belle Vue, Manchester, England, opened in 1836. The brainchild of John Jennison, the gardens were initially intended to be an entertai ...
. There is a marble screen with four figures on top, possibly the four evangelists,
Matthew Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Ch ...
, Mark,
Luke People *Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...
and John. The strikingly modern
Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...
, by Graeme Willson were commissioned in 1983, and include local views such as Stockport Viaduct, and Pendlebury Hall on Lancashire Hill,
Stockport Stockport is a town and borough in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt and Tame merge to create the River Mersey here. Most of the town is within ...
.


Religion

St. Elisabeth's is an Anglo-Catholic church, i.e. high church within the Church of England, reflecting Houldsworth's own beliefs. There are several services each week, the main Sung Mass being at 10:30 on Sunday. The first incumbent was Rev Addison Crofton, succeeded by Rev Edmund Oldfield in 1893.


Music

The organ was originally built by William Hill & Son of London. It was ordered in 1882 (as Job No. 1854) but was not completed until 1885. It had three manuals and pedals, with tubular pneumatic action linking the detached console on the south side of the choir stalls to the organ on the north side of the chancel, in an elevated position in the Triforium. It was rebuilt by Wadsworth Brothers of Manchester in 1929. During the late 1960s it was disastrously rebuilt by a small, local firm Charles H Smethurst Ltd, to a much reduced specification. The original specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register:but note a more recent rebuild and enlargement (2017)by F H Browne, Canterbury, making use of some of the stored pipework from the earlier 'disastrous' rebuild mentioned above. The organ is restored to 30 speaking stops and some significantly good ranks have been re - introduced. (March 2021 insertion) http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N02139


Rectory

A rectory, also designed by
Alfred Waterhouse Alfred Waterhouse (19 July 1830 – 22 August 1905) was an English architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, although he designed using other architectural styles as well. He is perhaps best known f ...
, was built for the church in 1874. It, and the walls the south and west of the church, are all grade II* listed buildings.


Use as film and TV set

St Elisabeth's was used as a set for the wedding of
Ashley Peacock Ashley Sibelius Peacock is a Character (arts), fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Steven Arnold, the character first appeared on screen du ...
and
Maxine Heavey The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' in 1995, by order of first appearance. Daniel Osbourne Daniel Osbourne is the son of Ken Barlow ( William Roache) and Denise Osbourne (Deni ...
in the TV soap opera ''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...
''. The Church also featured as the setting for the BBC children's drama ''Clay'' broadcast on CBBC, and later released on a BBC DVD (2008
BBC shop
Extensive modifications to the vestry and interior of the Church were required to change it into a Catholic church in 1960s Tyneside. It was based on the novel ''Clay'' by
David Almond David Almond (born 15 May 1951) is a British author who has written many novels for children and young adults from 1998, each one receiving critical acclaim. He is one of thirty children's writers, and one of three from the UK, to win the bienn ...
and starred
Imelda Staunton Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre produ ...

IMDB entry for Clay.


See also

* Grade I listed churches in Greater Manchester * Listed buildings in Stockport * List of churches in Greater Manchester * List of ecclesiastical works by Alfred Waterhouse


References


External links


St Elisabeth's
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Elisabeth's Church, Reddish Churches completed in 1883 19th-century Church of England church buildings Grade I listed churches in Greater Manchester Reddish Reddish Alfred Waterhouse buildings Reddish Reddish