Oldham Parish Church

Oldham Parish Church of St. Mary with St. Peter
Shown within Greater Manchester
Basic information
Location	Oldham, Greater Manchester, England
Geographic coordinates	grid reference SD927051
Geographic coordinates	53°32′33″N 2°06′40″W / 53.542634°N 2.111183°W / 53.542634; -2.111183Coordinates: 53°32′33″N 2°06′40″W / 53.542634°N 2.111183°W / 53.542634; -2.111183
Affiliation	Church of England
District	Diocese of Manchester
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Parish church
Architectural description
Architect(s)	Richard Lane
Architectural type	Church
Completed	1830
Specifications
Spire(s)	1

The Oldham Parish Church of St. Mary with St. Peter is the Church of England parish church for Oldham in Greater Manchester, England. It forms part of the Diocese of Manchester,^[1] and is one of several Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester.

A church building had existed on the site since 1280.^[1] During this time, a small chapel stood on the site to serve the local townships of Oldham, Chadderton, Royton and Crompton. This was later replaced by an Early English Gothic Church in the 15th century.^[1] With the coming of the Industrial Revolution, the population of Oldham increased at a rapid rate (from under 2,000 in 1714, to over 32,000 by 1831).^[1] The rapid growth of the local population warranted that the building be rebuilt in to the current structure. Though the budget was originally agreed at £5,000, the final cost of building was £30,000, one third of which was spent on the crypt structure.^[1] Alternative designs by Sir Charles Barry, the designer of the Palace of Westminster, although now regarded by some as superior, were rejected.^[1]

The church its present form, dates from 1830 and was designed in the Gothic Revival Style by Richard Lane, a Manchester based Architect.^[1] It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.^[2] It was linked with St Mary's Church in Prestwich and together the sites were principal churches of the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Prestwich-cum-Oldham.^[1]

See also

• List of churches in Greater Manchester
• History of Oldham

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} "Oldham Parish Church; A Brief History" (http). oldhamparishchurch.org. 2005-03-21. http://oldhamparishchurch.org/html/history.html. Retrieved 2007-10-16. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "Church of St Mary and St Peter" (http). Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=388885. Retrieved 2007-11-14.