St Luke's Church, King Street, Dukinfield

LISTING TEXT Anglican parish church. 1889: designed by John Eaton & Sons of Ashton under Lyne. Red brick with stone and terra-cotta dressings and decorative detailing; Welsh slate roof with red cresting tiles. Plan: nave of 6 bays with narrow aisles (not registered externally); internal transepts (that to N containing the organ); uninterrupted single bay chancel with no aisles, and polygonally apsed sanctuary. W. narthex, W bellcote; S baptistry (W bay of nave); SE vestry. Exterior. W. front, a well managed composition. 3 bay narthex with parapet and regular triple lancets to each bay: central gable with coping; both ends of the narthex are canted with principal entrance to right (depressed doorway arch with blank arcaded tympanum under gable). Atthe angles (i.e. between W and canted faces of the narthex) are 2 large buttresses which above the parapet become flying buttresses and connect with the W wall of nave where they receive polygonal turrets, and flank the large 5 light stepped lancet windows under superordinate arch with hood moulds. Nave with sprocketted roof; side walls: each bay with double lancets and continuous la  bel/impost string course. Gabled transepts similarly treated. Interior. Arcades with continuous hood moulds over square section piers with demi shafts to E and W only which support the inner order. Transverse arches to aisles set very low. Large and impressive canted, boarded roof to nave; principal over chancel rest on stone carbel shafts. Contemporary fittings of a high Victorian character with much punched tracery to choir stalls, reading desk, and polygonal pulpit(the latter  usually for the date   with Soundboard) altar table and reredos. Decorative tiling throughout. A good example of a late   C19 church by a little know architectural practice that did, however, contribute considerably to the townscape of the Ashton and environs, and was well versed in current architectural trends.