Christ Church, Denshaw

LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE OF A CHURCH AT DENSHAW – On Thursday the Lord Bishop of Manchester laid the foundation-stone of a church to be erected at Denshaw, on Friar Mere in Saddleworth, at the sole expense of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Gartside, of Ashton-under-Lyne. The church will accommodate 400 persons and will be built of stone with open-timbered roofs. Its dimensions will be —extreme length, 88 feet; width, 46 feet 8 inches; height, from floor to ridge, 40 feet; tower, nave, and chancel of equal width outside, namely, 23 feet 8 inches. The clerestory will be lighted by quatrefoil windows. The entrance will be through a porch near the west end of the south aisle, and the aisles extend halfway along the sides of the tower and chancel, forming transeptal chapels on each side of the latter. The north transept will be prepared for the organ, and the south transept fitted up as a private chapel. The font will be under the tower, close by the main entrance passage. There will be a five-light traceried window in the east end of the chancel filled with stained glass. The leading ideas have been to have the baptistry nave and chancel distinctly marked; to afford the greatest facilities for hearing and hearing; and to provide abundance of light. Mr. John Eaton, of Ashton-under-Lyne, is the architect and builder.  ….. (details of ceremony) [Manchester Guardian 19 July 1862 page 4]

 SADDLEWORTH-The Bishop of Manchester has laid the foundation-stone of a new church to be erected at Denshaw, in Friar Mere, Saddleworth, at the sole expense of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Gartside, of Ashton-under-Lyne. The church will accommodate 400 persons. It will be of stone; the roofs open-timbered. Dimensions—extreme length, 88 feet; width, 46 feet 8 inches; height, from floor to ridge, 40 feet; tower, nave, and chancel of equal width outside, viz., 23 feet 8 inches. The clerestory will be lighted by quatrefoil windows. The entrance is through a porch near the west end of the south aisle, and the aisles extend halfway along the sides of the tower and chancel, forming transeptal chapels on each side of the latter. The north transept will be prepared for the organ, and the south transept fitted up as a private chapel. There will be a five-light traceried window in the east end of the chancel filled with stained glass. Mr. J. Eaton, of Ashton-under-Lyne, is the builder. It is estimated that the erection and endowment will cost £10,000. [Builder 2 August 1862. Page 554]

CONSECRATION OF CHRIST CHURCH, DENSHAW— This church was dedicated by the Bishop of Manchester on Thursday. …. The foundation stone of this church was laid by the Bishop of Manchester on 17 July 186. It has been erected, furnished and decorated at the sole expense of Mr and Mrs Henry Garside of Ashton-under Lyne, who have also provided an endowment and erected a parsonage house. The church is a modest unpretending structure in the style of the thirteenth century.  The principal features externally are a square tower and well-developed chancel, while internally the baptistery, the nave, and the chancel are each distinctly marked. It is built of pier-point stone walling, with polished ashlar dressings. The piers, responds, etc., internally are of polished Yorkshire stone. The roof is open- timbered, with arched principals springing from polished shafted stone corbels; the timbers stained dark and varnished, and the ironwork coloured in ultramarine. The east gables of nave and chancel and the gables of transepts are furnished with ornamental iron crosses. The whole length is 88 ft. 6 in., width 46 ft. 4 in.; height to wall plate of clerestory, 22 ft. 7 in.; to ridge of nave, 41 ft. Open benches are provided for 400 worshippers. The chancel floor is laid with Minton's tiles. Benches for the choir, with open fronts, are placed on each side of the chancel. The sacrarium is elevated two steps above the chancel floor, and the holy table is again elevated two steps. The chancel window, which consists of five lights, with quatre-foils and a large wheel in the head, is filled in with painted glass, from a design by Mrs. Gartside. On opposite walls in the tower, on corbel- tables enriched with carvings of the family arms, are erected trefoil-headed and canopied niches of Caen stone, enclosing marble tablets inscribed to the memory of Captain Thomas Gartside, of Woodbrow, and Mary Anna, his wife; and in memory of John Gartside, Gent, of Denshaw, and Ann, his wife, the parents respectively of the founders of the church. On a plain stone band under the west window is engraved the following inscription – “To the glory of God this church, dedicated in the name of Christ, was erected and endowed and the adjoining parsonage built by Henry Gartside, formerly of Denshaw, gent, and Elizabeth Sarah, his wife, at their sole expense, the land being the gift of Messrs James Butterworth and Brothers, Junction. The foundation stone was laid July 17 1862, and the edifice consecrated September 24 1863 by the Right Reverend James Prince Lee, Lord Bishop of Manchester. John Eaton architect, Ashton-under-Lyne. [Manchester Guardian 26 September 1863 page 5]

DENSHAW—Christ Church, Denshaw, Saddleworth, was consecrated last week by the Bishop of Manchester. The church is in the style of the 13th century. The principal features externally are a square tower and chancel, while internally the baptistery, the nave, and the chancel are each distinctly marked. It is built of pier- point stone walling, with polished ashlar dressings. The piers, responds, etc., internally are of polished Yorkshire stone. The roof is open- timbered, with arched principals springing from polished shafted stone corbels; the timbers stained dark and varnished, and the ironwork coloured in ultramarine. The east gables of nave and chancel and the gables of transepts are furnished with ornamental iron crosses. The whole length is 88 ft. 6 in., width 46 ft. 4 in.; height to wall plate of clerestory, 22 ft. 7 in.; to ridge of nave, 41 ft. Open benches are provided for 400 worshippers. The chancel floor is laid with Minton's tiles. Benches for the choir, with open fronts, are placed on each side of the chancel. The sacrarium is elevated two steps above the chancel floor, and the holy table is again elevated two steps. The chancel window, which consists of five lights, with quatre-foils and a large wheel in the head, is filled in with painted glass, from a design by Mrs. Gartside. On opposite walls in the tower, on corbel- tables enriched with carvings of the family arms, are erected trefoil-headed and canopied niches of Caen stone, enclosing marble tablets inscribed to the memory of Captain Thomas Gartside, of Woodbrow, and Mary Anna, his wife; and in memory of John Gartside, Gent, of Denshaw, and Ann, his wife, the parents respectively of the founders of the church. [Building News 2 October 1863 page 753]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 19 July 1862 page 4 - Laying of foundation stone
Reference    Builder 2 August 1862. Page 554 - Laying of foundation stone
Reference    Manchester Guardian 26 September 1863 page 5
Reference    Building News 2 October 1863 page 753 - consecration