St Elisabeth's Church, Reddish

Parish church
name = St. Elisabeth's Church, Reddish


caption =
dedication = St. Elisabeth
denomination = Church of England
tradition = Anglo-Catholic
diocese = Manchester
province = York
rector = Rev. Angie Stanton
priest = Vacant
priest1 = Hilary Evans (OLM Priest )
website = [http://www.saintelisabeths.org www.saintelisabeths.org] St. Elisabeth's Church is an Anglo Catholic church in Reddish, Stockport designed by Alfred Waterhouse in the Victorian Gothic style. It is a grade 1 listed building.

Architecture

Local mill-owner Sir William Houldsworth commissioned Alfred Waterhouse in the 1870s. Construction took place between 1881 and 1883, paid for entirely by Houldsworth,cite book | last = Pevsner | first = Nikolaus | authorlink = Nikolaus Pevsner | title = The Buildings of England: South Lancashire | year = 1969 | publisher = Penguin Books | location = London | id = ISBN 0-14-071036-1 | pages = 371-372 ] with consecration in 1883. The church was named after Houldsworth's wife.cite book| last = Cronin | first = Jill | title = Images of England: Reddish | year = 2000 | publisher = Tempus Publishing | location = Stroud, Glos | id = ISBN 0-7524-1878-5 |pages = 54-56 ] Described by Pevsner as "a superb job, big-boned, with nothing mean outside or in", the church is of Openshaw brick with Wrexham stone dressings. An almost separate belltower contains eight bells cast by Taylor.cite web | url = http://www.saintelisabeths.org/html/history.html | title = History | accessdate = 2006-10-09 | work = St Elisabeth's ]

Pillars supporting the nave's roof were transported from the nearby canal to the site on the backs of elephants from Belle Vue Zoo. There is a marble screen with four figures on top, possibly the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Religion

St. Elisabeth's is an Anglo-Catholic church, i.e. high church within the Church of England,cite web | url = http://www.saintelisabeths.org/html/what_s_it_like_.html | title = What's it like? | accessdate = 2006-10-09 | work = St Elisabeth's ] , reflecting Houldsworth's own beliefs.cite web
url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/40813
title = Houldsworth, Sir William Henry
accessdate = 2006-10-09
author = Howe, A. C.
year = 2004
work = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
publisher = Oxford University Press] There are several services each week, the main Sung Mass being at 10:30 on Sunday. Morning prayer is said at 7:30am each weekday (entrance through Sacristy), and Mass at 7:30pm tuesday and 9:30am thursday (entrance through tower door), and 9:30 Wednesday (in Reddish Community Centre).cite web | url = http://www.saintelisabeths.org/html/church_diary.html | title = Church Diary| accessdate = 2006-10-09 | work = St. Elisabeth's ] and an excellent choir. There is an ongoing restoration appeal for the superb Hill organ.cite web | url = http://www.saintelisabeths.org/html/music.html | title = Music | accessdate = 2006-10-09 | work = St. Elisabeth's ]

Rectory

A rectory, also designed by Alfred Waterhouse, was built for the church in 1874. It, and the walls the south and west of the church, are all grade II* listed buildings [cite web |title=Former rectory to Church of St Elisabeth |url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=210836 |publisher=Images of England |accessdate=2008-06-09 ] [cite web |title=Wall to west of Church of St Elisabeth |url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=210837 |publisher=Images of England |accessdate=2008-06-09 ] [cite web |title=Wall to west and south of Church of St Elisabeth |url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=210823 |publisher=Images of England |accessdate=2008-06-09 ] .

Trivia

St. Elisabeth's was used as a set for the wedding of Ashley Peacock and Maxine Heavey in the TV soap opera Coronation Street. [cite news |title = Street dreams |url = |work = Yorkshire Post |publisher = |pages = |page = |date = 7 October 1997]

ee also

*Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester
*List of churches in Greater Manchester

References

External links

* [http://www.saintelisabeths.org/ St Elisabeth's]