All Saints Church, Marple
Encyclopedia
All Saints Church, Marple, is in the town of Marple, Greater Manchester
, England
. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building. In the churchyard is the tower of an earlier church. This is also listed Grade II. The church is an active Anglican
parish church
in the diocese of Chester
, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Chadkirk.
building erected in the second half of the 16th century. The first recorded service took place in 1588. In 1803 the building was in a ruinous condition and it was decided that a new church should be built. In 1808 Robert Goldsmith was appointed as architect and the church was completed in 1811 at a cost of £4,000 (£ as of ). A major financial contributor to the building of the church was Samuel Oldknow
, a local cotton manufacturer. In 1816 a peal of bells arrived and in 1826 an organ was installed. By the 1870s the church was too small for the congregation and the building was unsuitable for expansion so it was decided that a new church should be built. The new church was built 30m to the south of the old church. J. Medland Taylor and Henry Taylor were appointed as architects and the church cost £6,056 (£ as of ). It was consecrated
on 30 June 1880. In the following years some services were still held in the old church but its condition deteriorated and by 1964 it was considered to be dangerous and it was demolished. The tower was strengthened and the bells re-hung in it, making it a free-standing bell-tower.
surround and a two-light window. In the third stage is a clock face. Above this are lancet bell openings. The parapet
has plain pilaster
s and square pinnacle
s.
Inside the tower are memorials. Pevsner considers that the best is a tablet by John Flaxman
in memory of Rev. Kelsall Prescot, who died in 1823, showing him standing and instructing boys. The monument to Samuel Oldknow, who died in 1828, is by Francis Legatt Chantrey
, but Pevsner considers it to be disappointing. A monument to Elizabeth Isherwood, who died in 1835, is by Manning and shows a woman kneeling by an urn. Other monuments are to Nathaniel Wright who died in 1818, showing a cherub with an extinguished torch, and to John Clayton who died in 1848 and shows a standing woman with a lamp and a torch.
nave
with a clerestory
, north and south aisle
s, and a two-bay chancel
. At the east end is a five-light window and at the west end is a rose window
.
In the church the chandelier and font
were removed from the old church. Also in the church are memorials to the Bradshaw-Isherwood family. The organ was built by Conacher and Wadsworth and extended by Walker in 1972. The ring
consists of eight bells. Six of these, which came from Stockport parish church in 1816, were cast by Rudhall of Gloucester
in 1731. The other two bells are by John Taylor and Company and are dated 1963. The parish register
s date from 1655.
Marple, Greater Manchester
Marple is a small town within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Goyt southeast of Stockport.Historically part of Cheshire, Marple has a population of 23,480 .-Toponymy:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II listed building. In the churchyard is the tower of an earlier church. This is also listed Grade II. The church is an active Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the diocese of Chester
Diocese of Chester
The Diocese of Chester is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York based in Chester, covering the county of Cheshire in its pre-1974 boundaries...
, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Chadkirk.
History
The first church on the site was a small timber-framedTimber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
building erected in the second half of the 16th century. The first recorded service took place in 1588. In 1803 the building was in a ruinous condition and it was decided that a new church should be built. In 1808 Robert Goldsmith was appointed as architect and the church was completed in 1811 at a cost of £4,000 (£ as of ). A major financial contributor to the building of the church was Samuel Oldknow
Samuel Oldknow
thumb|Samuel OldknowSamuel Oldknow was an English cotton manufacturer.Samuel Oldknow Jnr, the eldest son of Samuel Oldknow Sr and Margaret Foster, was born 5 October 1756 in Anderton, near Chorley, Lancashire, and died 18 September 1828 at Mellor Lodge, Derbyshire. He had an elder sister named...
, a local cotton manufacturer. In 1816 a peal of bells arrived and in 1826 an organ was installed. By the 1870s the church was too small for the congregation and the building was unsuitable for expansion so it was decided that a new church should be built. The new church was built 30m to the south of the old church. J. Medland Taylor and Henry Taylor were appointed as architects and the church cost £6,056 (£ as of ). It was consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on 30 June 1880. In the following years some services were still held in the old church but its condition deteriorated and by 1964 it was considered to be dangerous and it was demolished. The tower was strengthened and the bells re-hung in it, making it a free-standing bell-tower.
Tower
The separate tower is in four stages with string courses between the stages. At the west is a door with a rusticatedRustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
surround and a two-light window. In the third stage is a clock face. Above this are lancet bell openings. The parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
has plain pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s and square pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s.
Inside the tower are memorials. Pevsner considers that the best is a tablet by John Flaxman
John Flaxman
John Flaxman was an English sculptor and draughtsman.-Early life:He was born in York. His father was also named John, after an ancestor who, according to family tradition, had fought for Parliament at the Battle of Naseby, and afterwards settled as a carrier or farmer in Buckinghamshire...
in memory of Rev. Kelsall Prescot, who died in 1823, showing him standing and instructing boys. The monument to Samuel Oldknow, who died in 1828, is by Francis Legatt Chantrey
Francis Legatt Chantrey
Sir Francis Legatt Chantrey was an English sculptor of the Georgian era. He left the Chantrey Bequest or Chantrey Fund for the purchase of works of art for the nation, which was available from 1878 after the death of his widow.-Life:Francis Leggatt Chantrey was born at Norton near Sheffield ,...
, but Pevsner considers it to be disappointing. A monument to Elizabeth Isherwood, who died in 1835, is by Manning and shows a woman kneeling by an urn. Other monuments are to Nathaniel Wright who died in 1818, showing a cherub with an extinguished torch, and to John Clayton who died in 1848 and shows a standing woman with a lamp and a torch.
Church
The church is built in stone with a patterned tiled roof. Its plan consists of a three-bayBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
, north and south aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s, and a two-bay chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. At the east end is a five-light window and at the west end is a rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
.
In the church the chandelier and font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
were removed from the old church. Also in the church are memorials to the Bradshaw-Isherwood family. The organ was built by Conacher and Wadsworth and extended by Walker in 1972. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of eight bells. Six of these, which came from Stockport parish church in 1816, were cast by Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester was a family business of bell founders in the city of Gloucester, England, who between 1684 and 1835 produced over 5,000 bells. The business was founded by Abraham Rudhall and the earliest ring of bells he cast was for St Nicholas' Church, Oddington in 1684. He came to be...
in 1731. The other two bells are by John Taylor and Company and are dated 1963. The parish register
Parish register
A parish register is a handwritten volume, normally kept in a parish church or deposited within a county record office or alternative archive repository, in which details of baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded.-History:...
s date from 1655.