Church of St Agnes, Gorton Road, North Reddish
For chancel, chapel, vestries, organ chamber and four bays of the nave. Foundation stones laid 28 March 1908. Passing of plans noted - 10 April 1908.
NEW CHURCH, NORTH REDDISH - The memorial stone was recently laid of the new parish church of Saint Agnes, North Reddish. At present only a part of the building is to be erected, and this portion will provide seating accommodation for 500 worshippers. The complete church will accommodate 600. The work being carried out from designs by Messrs. C. K. & T. C. Mayor, of Manchester. by Messrs. George Macfarlane & Sons, of Chorlton-on- Medlock. [Builder 4 April 1908 page 403]
NEW CHURCH AT REDDISH - A large crowd of parishioners and others assembled on Saturday last at North Reddish to witness the ceremony of laying the memorial stone of the new parish church of St Agnes the weather being delightful This interesting function, which was performed by Major Henry Houldsworth, son of William Houldsworth Bart marked further stage in the history of church development in Reddish. As long ago as 1880 the first rector of St Elisabeth’s (the late Rev. Addison Crofton), opened a mission at North Reddish to supply the spiritual needs of the Manchester end of his parish where the population was growing as a result of the direct line of railway from Manchester to Marple. The first mission building was a small room over some stables. At the first service there was a congregation of 91 and 13 scholars were enrolled in the Sunday School. Two years later the little room was found to be too small and on 8 July 1882 was opened an iron mission church which had been purchased at a cost of £300 and removed from Didsbury where it had previously done duty as a day school. In 1885 the iron church was altered and enlarged to provide seating accommodation for 250.
Already in 1900, a suitable site for a permanent church on Gorton Road had been purchased at a cost of about £700. Plans for the Parish Church, prepared by Messrs C K and T C Mayor of Manchester, provide accommodation for 600 worshippers and this church is so far advanced that the ceremony on Saturday took place within its walls. The portion of the church at present under construction including chancel, vestries, organ chamber, side chapel and four bays of the nave will provide accommodation for 500.
DESCRIPTION OF TIIE NEW CHURCH - The building which has been set well back from the road with a view to lessening the noise of traffic consists of nave, north and south aisles organ chamber, and clergy and choir vestries which may be used as one large room for meetings by means of the folding screen dividing them. Four porches are provided, two at each end of the aisles in order to empty the building quickly on crowded occasions, the clergy entrance being below the belfry. Seating accommodation is provided for about 600 persons. The style of architecture is that which marked the period of transition between the “late Decorated” and the “Early Perpendicular” phases of Gothic; and the clerestory has been dispensed with entirely, ample lighting being obtained by means of three-light windows in the aisles and large five-light windows at the east and west ends. The nave 84 feet in length and 24 feet in width, is divided into six bays having octagonal columns of Alderley stone which support pointed arches of moulded red Accrington bricks the material with which the whole of the interior is lined in order to avoid periodical decorations. The exterior is lined with light-coloured Bayley's bricks forming a pleasing contrast to the deep red terra cotta used for the window tracery and other architectural features. The roofs are of the open timber type of bold and effective design and are carried out in pitch pine, left unvarnished. It is intended to pave the whole of the nave aisles with wood blocks and the chancel and porches etc with tiling. A system of hot water heating will be adopted to warm the building. The contractors for the new church are Messrs George Macfarlane and Son of Chorlton-on-Medlock Manchester, who are carrying out the work from the designs of the Messrs C. K. and T. .C Mayor of 41 John Dalton Street Manchester who are also superintending. [Stockport Advertiser and Guardian - Friday 3 April 1908 page 6 – abridged]
Reference British Architect 19 July 1907 Page x - tenders
Reference Building News 3 April 1908 Page 486 and 10 April 1908 Page 521
Reference Building News 11 December 1908 Page 852
Reference Builder 4 April 1908 page 403
Reference Stockport Advertiser and Guardian - Friday 3 April 1908 page 6
