Building Name

Church of St Charles Borromeo Woolley Bridge Road Hadfield Glossop

Date
1940
Street
Wooley Bridge Road
District/Town
Hadfield, Glossop
County/Country
Derbyshire, England
Work
Additions and Alterations

A fine example of the robust Gothic Revival style adopted by the Sheffield firm of Weightman, Hadfield and Goldie, the church of St Charles Borromeo was built in 1858 at the expense of Lord Edward Fitzalan Howard, 1st Baron of Glossop. The Howard family vault was added in 1888, requiring the demolition of the Lady Chapel.

Major alterations were made to the church in 1940 under the direction of architects E. Bower Norris and F M Reynolds. The sanctuary was redecorated in keeping with the original Gothic style and the high altar of 1883 was converted to a Liturgical altar by the removal of the canopy, throne and turret, lowering of the gradines and replacement of the square tabernacle with a circular one. A new tester was installed over the altar and window (since removed). At the same time the Lady altar was moved back to the north side of the sanctuary, in a new chapel built over the Howard vault. An oak altar table from the Howard’s private chapel at Glossop Hall was installed in the south sanctuary chapel (now the Holy Family chapel). At the west end, the font was relocated to the baptistery, which was enclosed by a new oak screen. All these works were very much in keeping with the prevailing fashion in the Diocese (unfashionable just about everywhere else) of respect for the architecture of the Gothic Revival. [Marion Barter]