Building Name

St. James the Great, Whitfield, Glossop, Derbyshire

Date
1842 - 1846
District/Town
Whitfield, Glossop
County/Country
Derbyshire, England
Work
New build
Listed
Grade II

The parish comprehends the entire townships of Hadfield, Dinting and Chunal and parts of the townships of Whitfield, Padfield and Glossop. The population, according to the census of 1841 is 6,500. The Church was built by voluntary contributions aided by grants.  The first stone was laid by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Lonsdale, Lord Bishop of Lichfield on 27th September 1844 and consecrated by His Lordship on 8th  September  1845. In 1844 contracts were drawn up for the building of the church, between the Rev. Lowe, John  Wood,  John  Thornley and  Robert  Kershaw and the masons  Thomas  Longson and  Andrew  McKnight.  The masons' work was to cost £3,700, the stone to be obtained from Bray's Clough, near Moorfield.  The land for the site of the church and school was bought from the estate of Thomas Dearnley, of Tintwistle, a schoolmaster who died in 1842, at a price of £110.  It was called Lower Meadow being bounded by "Holly Cross Lane and Wall Sitch." [Extracts from  Centenary booklet 1846- 1946.]

CONSECRATION OF WHITFIELD CHURCH, GLOSSOP —On Tuesday, St. James’s Church, Whitfield, Glossop, was consecrated by the Right Rev. the Bishop of Lichfield. This church, which stands in the midst of a beautiful country, forms a very interesting addition to the landscape. The foundation stone was laid by the Bishop of Lichfield on the 27th of September 1844, shortly after his accession to the see. Mr Shellard, of Manchester, was the architect. The church, which is built in the early English style of architecture, consists of a nave with aisles, chancel, engaged tower, with brooch spire at the west end of the north aisle, and vestry. The length of the nave is 66 feet 7 inches by 50 feet 8 inches. The chancel is 16 feet by 20 feet. The height of the tower and spire is 121 feet. The western front presents an imposing appearance, and forms the chief entrance, which is means of a spacious corridor, over which is handsome arcade, surmounted by a multifoil window in the gable of the nave. The tower consists of three stages, the upper one of which is adorned with couplet windows on each face with moulded capitals, and arches with moulded pillars at the external angles of the tower. The spire has three tiers of louvre lights, and at the base there are handsome pinnacles. The aisles are decorated with couplet, lancets, and pedimental buttresses, after the example of those in Salisbury Cathedral. The eastern windows are filled with painted glass, from London. The aisles are separated from the nave two rows of clustered pillars, with moulded capitals, bauds, and bases, supporting moulded arches, from the spandrels of which rise the main timbers of the roof. The church is sealed for a thousand persons, and one half of the sittings are to be free, which will prove a great boon to the district, now that it is becoming so populous and important. By the original contract, the edifice was cost little more than £2,000. —Shortly after the commencement of the works, however, the contractors for the masonry fell into difficulties, in consequence of which further progress in the undertaking was prevented for a considerable time. During the suspension of the works, a great advance look place in the value of both materials and labour, and that has involved the building committee in considerable extra expense. But, even making allowance tor that, Whitfield Church is reckoned one of the cheapest ecclesiastical structures in the kingdom. It is situated in a very sweet neighbourhood, at the foot of the first hill of the Peak Forest range. The following are the names of the contractors, who have discharged their duties in a very satisfactory manner; Messrs. Armstrong, of Sheffield, masons; Mr. Thorpe, of Glossop, carpenter; Mr John Kaye, of Manchester, painter, plumber, and glazier; and Messrs. J. and H. Ollerenshaw, of Glossop, slaters.  [Derby Courier  12 December 1846 page 3]

Reference    Manchester Courier 5 October 1844 page 8 – foundation stone
Reference    Manchester Guardian 15 February 1845 page 7 – contracts
Reference    Derby Courier  12 December 1846 page 3