Congregational Church, Hollins Lane, Marple

NEW CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AT MARPLE - On Saturday afternoon, Sir J. Watts, of Abney Hall, Cheadle, laid the corner stone of a new Congregational church, in Hollins Lane, Stockport Road, Marple. The edifice is to be built in the Gothic style, of Yorkshire stone, with dressings of Bath stone. The dimensions inside will be 44 feet long and 32 feet wide. At the north-eastern corner is to be a tower, surmounted by a spire which together will be 68 feet high. The tower alone will be 12 feet square. On the summit of the tower, and supporting the spire, will be pillars with caps and bases, and pointed arches. The space between the pillars and under the arches will be filled with louvre boards. A substantial appearance will be imparted to the structure by stone buttresses, which it is intended to place between the windows and at the corners of the building. In the front gable, facing Hollins Lane, will be the principal ornament of the chapel. This will be a beautiful wheel window, adorned with tracery, and cusped; it will be arched with Bath stone. The height of the building to the apex of the roof will be 17 feet clear. There are to be two public entrances, of which the principal will be through a porch under the tower. The roof is to be open, and plastered between the rafters. The timbers will be stained and varnished, and supported by principals. The sittings are to accommodate 220 persons in open stall benches. There will be two aisles, and the seats on each side of the building will be placed at an angle of 30 degrees. This arrangement is to enable worshippers the better to see the preacher during the service. At the south end of the building it is intended to have a vestry, 30 feet long and 13 feet wide. The church is to be erected from the designs of Messrs. W. G. Habershon and Pite, architects, London; and the contractors are Messrs Davenport and Swindells, Stockport. The cost will be about £1,200, of which the half has been raised. The proceedings connected with the laying of the corner stone were commenced by singing and prayer.  -- Mr. S. Hodgkinson, the chairman of the Building Committee, stated the origin of the project. He said that some time ago, a few Protestant dissenters, living in the neighbourhood, finding that their distance from a place of worship of their own denomination very inconvenient for themselves and their families, determined to erect a place of worship on that site. They were induced to carry out this determination by other considerations. It was pretty well known that church accommodation was much wanted. The Wesleyan Methodists were about to enlarge their place of worship; and in the parish church, he was told, not a pew was too be had. Mr. Hodgkinson presented a silver trowel to Sir J. Watts who laid the stone in the name of the Trinity. The Rev. Professor Newth, of the Lancashire Independent College, addressed the assembly. The "Doxology" was sung, and the proceedings terminated. [Manchester Guardian 12 September 1864 Page 2]

Foundation stone laid Saturday 10 September 1864

Reference    Manchester Guardian Saturday 3 September 1864 - Page 1 notice
Reference    Manchester Guardian Monday 12 September 1864 Page 2 Col 7 – foundation stone
Reference    Builder 22 October 1864 Page 782