Building Name

All Saints Church (New) Church Lane Marple Cheshire

Date
1877 - 1880
District/Town
Cheshire
County/Country
GMCA, England
Work
New Build
Contractor
Bowden and Kellett, of Marple

MARPLE - The corner stone of the new parish church of All Saints, Marple, was laid on Saturday week. The plan comprises a broad nave, chancel of same width, south chancel aisle to be used as organ chamber and vestry, aisles to nave, western narthex divided by an arch so that the northern portion forms a baptistery and the southern a porch, and a western tower. The style is Early Geometrical. The church is to be built of ashlar stoneCthe internal wall‑surfaces being plastered. Advantage is taken of the natural rise in the site to lay the nave floor so as to slope 18 inches. upwards from west to east. Accommodation is provided for 650 adults, at a cost of £6,000. Messrs Medland and Henry Taylor are the architects. [Building News 15 November 1878 page 516]

OPENING OF A NEW PARISH CHURCH AT MARPLE - The new parish church of All Saints', Marple was consecrated on Wednesday forenoon by the Bishop of Chester. The original project was to extend and improve the Old Church, which stands some thirty yards distant from the new fabric, and which was built in 1811 in the place of a "black and white" edifice which was tumbling into ruins. For this work a faculty was obtained, plans drawn, and estimates procured, but from one cause or another the feeling gradually grew and strengthened in favour of building an entirely new church, the whole of the seats in which should be free and open and unappropriated for ever; and, among other things, it is claimed that the position of the church which was consecrated on Wednesday has ?? the additional advantage of respecting the very natural sentiment which draws many to worship in a church under whose shadow rest those relatives or friends who have gone before." The old church was pewed throughout, and for the comfort of the occupants of two of the pews - deep, straight-backed, square compartments of the kind which Bishop Fraser has so often graphically criticised and condemned - firegrates were let into the walls. There was accommodation for less than 400 persons, but, of course, the pew system militated against a popular attendances and it has been long felt that the inconvenience suffered by the parishioners could only be effectually removed by a radical change in the sitting arrangements. In future the old fabric will serve the purposes of a mortuary chapel. Mrs Bradshawe-Isherwood, of Marple HalI laid the foundation stone of the new church on 26 October 1878. The building contract was placed in the hands of Messrs Bowden and Kellett, of Marple, who worked from designs prepared by Messrs Medland and Henry Taylor, architects, of this city. The architectural style of the church is early geometrical pointed Gothic. The plan or arrangement on the floor is an exceedingly simple one. It consists of a broad nave, with chancel of nearly the same width a south transept to the chancel, which contains the organ, and gives space for a two-storied vestry. The erection of the tower has been deferred for the present from lack of sufficient funds, but as this forms so essential a part of the complete design of the church, the committee hope that the sum required for this purpose will soon be forthcoming. [Manchester Weekly Times 3 July 1880 page 7]

Reference    Building News 15 November 1878 page 516
Reference    Manchester Weekly Times 3 July 1880