Church of St John the Baptist, Atherton
Encyclopedia
St John the Baptist's Church, Atherton is a church in Atherton
, Greater Manchester
, England. It is an active Anglican parish church
and part of Leigh deanery in the archdeaconry of Salford, diocese of Manchester
. It is a Grade II Listed building.
A chapel dedicated to St John the Baptist at Chowbent was built in 1645 by John Atherton as the second chapel of ease
to Leigh Parish Church. It is sometimes referred to as the Old Bent Chapel. It was never consecrated and was used by the Presbyterians
as well as the Vicar of Leigh. In 1721, Lord of the manor, Richard Atherton expelled the dissenters who subsequently built Chowbent Chapel
and the chapel was consecrated in 1723 by the Bishop of Sodor and Man
.
The first chapel was replaced by a new St John's Chapel on the same site which was consecrated by the Bishop of Chester
in 1814. This second chapel was replaced by the present church designed by the Lancaster
architects Paley and Austin and consecrated in 1879.
stone, the interior of Stourton Stone with a Yorkshire
stone floor. It is 60 feet (18.3 m) wide, 127 feet (38.7 m) long, and the 24 feet (7.3 m) square tower rises to 120 feet (36.6 m). The fabric of the church has suffered from mining subsidence
.
Atherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire. It is east of Wigan, north-northeast of Leigh, and northwest of Manchester...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England. It is an active Anglican 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....
and part of Leigh deanery in the archdeaconry of Salford, diocese of Manchester
Anglican Diocese of Manchester
The Diocese of Manchester is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York, England. Based in the city of Manchester, the diocese covers much of the county of Greater Manchester and small areas of the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire.-History:...
. It is a Grade II Listed building.
History
There have been three chapels or churches on the site of the of St John the Baptist parish church.A chapel dedicated to St John the Baptist at Chowbent was built in 1645 by John Atherton as the second chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
to Leigh Parish Church. It is sometimes referred to as the Old Bent Chapel. It was never consecrated and was used by the Presbyterians
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
as well as the Vicar of Leigh. In 1721, Lord of the manor, Richard Atherton expelled the dissenters who subsequently built Chowbent Chapel
Chowbent Chapel
Chowbent Chapel is a Unitarian place of worship in Atherton, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1721 and is the oldest place of worship in the town. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British...
and the chapel was consecrated in 1723 by the Bishop of Sodor and Man
Bishop of Sodor and Man
The Bishop of Sodor and Man is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Sodor and Man in the Province of York in the Church of England. The diocese covers the Isle of Man. The see is in the town of Peel where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of St German, elevated to cathedral status on 1...
.
The first chapel was replaced by a new St John's Chapel on the same site which was consecrated by the Bishop of Chester
Bishop of Chester
The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral...
in 1814. This second chapel was replaced by the present church designed by the Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
architects Paley and Austin and consecrated in 1879.
Structure
The church is built of RuncornRuncorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
stone, the interior of Stourton Stone with a Yorkshire
stone floor. It is 60 feet (18.3 m) wide, 127 feet (38.7 m) long, and the 24 feet (7.3 m) square tower rises to 120 feet (36.6 m). The fabric of the church has suffered from mining subsidence
Subsidence
Subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...
.