Church of St Peter, Hale, Hale Central, Trafford

Summary

Anglican church, 1890-2, by Tate and Popplewell of Manchester. Buff/pale pink brick with pressed brick and terracotta dressings, tiled roof. Eclectic Gothic style

Description

PLAN: the church is located at the junction of Ashley Road and Harrop Road and is aligned east-west with a north-east vestry, south-east choir vestry and a south-west steeple.

EXTERIOR: the Church of St Peter is a large building dominated externally by a south-west steeple. All the elevations incorporate pressed-brick banding and are lit by Gothic arched windows with geometrical tracery, leaded and stained glass, and quoined terracotta surrounds.

The gabled west end has a large 5-light west window composed of cusped lancets with a larger raised light to the centre and blind quatrefoils set above the paired outer lights, all with a thin continuous terracotta hoodmould above. Above the window are three small, narrow lancet openings, and surmounting the gable is a cross finial. A gabled baptistery projects out underneath the west window and is lit by a tall Gothic-arched window composed of two trefoil-arched lights with a glazed quatrefoil set to the apex. To the left is the side return of a north-west porch with a 3-light trefoil-arched window, whilst to the right is the side return of a south-west porch that forms part of the south-west steeple and is also lit by a 3-light trefoil-arched window on the west side.

The 4-stage south-west steeple has canted corners and an octagonal top section in terracotta. A stair turret is located to the west side and to the south side is a Gothic-arched entrance opening with a cusped intrados. Panelled oak double-doors incorporating small leaded-glazed lights with trefoil-arched heads and red stained-glass margin lights are contained within the enclosed porch. Tall trefoil-arched lancets light the steeple at the second stage on the north, south and east sides. The third and fourth stages are in terracotta and are octagonal, diminishing in size as the steeple gets higher. The third stage incorporates four clock faces given by Sarah Ann Whitehead in 1912, whilst the fourth stage forms a belfry and has glazed trefoil-arched openings. The steeple is surmounted by a polygonal roof with a weathervane in the form of a fish, representing St Peter and the Early Christian Church.

The church's north-west porch has an arched entrance with a cusped intrados and contained within are panelled oak double-doors incorporating small leaded-glazed lights with trefoil-arched heads and red stained-glass margin lights.

The 3-bay nave has a pinnacled parapet and massive 4-light clerestory windows on each north and south side set underneath continuous hoodmoulds. Set below the clerestory windows are lean-to side aisles linked to the pinnacles of the nave's parapet by flying buttresses. Each side-aisle bay is lit by three small trefoil-arched windows.

The chancel is slightly lower in height than the nave and is lit by a single trefoil-arched window on each north and south side. A terracotta quatrefoil roundel frieze exists below the eaves. Attached to the north side is a gabled organ loft/chamber with an octofoil window and a lower vestry projection in front with hipped roofs and a central bay that projects forward slightly and breaks through the eaves underneath a gable. The vestry has a large Gothic-arched opening, the uppermost part of which is blind, containing a 2-light window with a blind quatrefoil above.

The church's gabled east end is lit by a massive 5-light traceried terracotta east window with a large decorative terracotta panel below incorporating an Alisee Patee cross to the centre and a quatrefoil roundel frieze. Surmounting the gable is a coped Celtic cross finial. Set back to the left is a small, lower, gabled choir vestry (originally the Parish Room), which has paired trefoil-arched lancets to the east end with a quatrefoil above, all set underneath a Gothic arch. There is also basement access to a boiler room and a coal hole. The south return of the choir vestry has two sets of small paired trefoil-arched windows and an octagonal boiler stack rises from the rear pitch of the roof. To the left of the choir vestry is a small south-east gabled porch with a Gothic arched opening with a cusped intrados and a panelled and partly leaded-glazed oak door.

INTERIOR: internally the walls are of exposed brick and there are parquet floors to the nave, side aisles, baptistery and vestries (that to the clergy vestry is hidden under later carpeting), quarry-tiled floors to the porches, a quarry tile and sandstone floor to the chancel, with additional encaustic tile flooring in the sanctuary. The nave flooring incorporates heating grilles, and oak doors are present throughout.

The 3-bay nave contains modern pews and chairs and has an unusual open roof with horizontal bracing dividing the main bays into boat shapes, from which hang large Art Nouveau-style brass chandeliers. The nave has a blind arcade to each north and south side with each bay containing a massive 4-light stained-glass clerestory window by Heaton, Butler & Bayne; the centre lights of which depict golden angels with coloured wings. To each blind nave arch there are three corresponding open side-aisle arches below. The sandstone pillars of the nave arches also form part of the side aisle arcades, with the remaining pillars of the side aisles being of terracotta with simple capitals and octagonal bases. Carved terracotta panels exist to the spandrels. The side aisles have exposed rafters and each aisle contains a series of small trefoil-arched stained-glass windows depicting alternate New Testament and Old Testament imagery.

The west end of the nave has a large arched opening to the centre, which leads into the baptistery, and is flanked by two slightly smaller arched openings accessing the north-west and south-west porches, which contain memorial windows; both arched openings contain a traceried oak and leaded-glazed screen and double doors. The baptistery has a scissor-braced roof and the walls are lined to dado height with pink-veined cream coloured marble installed in 1900. Above, to the north and south walls, are elaborate First World War memorial marble and glass mosaic panels by Walter J Pearce of Manchester, which are arranged in a triptych formation. Each memorial has a large central panel bearing inscriptions, regimental badges, and the names of those killed, flanked by pictorial panels bordered by the names of places of battles and depictions of symbolic plants, including lilies and poppies. The two pictorial panels on the mosaic to the south wall depict a wounded First World War soldier touching the foot of a crucified Christ, and Christ blessing a Crusader knight, whilst the two panels on the north wall depict a seascape with St Peter walking on water next to a First World War British naval officer with a boat/skiff in the background, and the angel speaking to Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, and Salome at Christ's tomb after his resurrection, with the sun rising in the background. The uppermost section of the baptistery's north and south walls is formed of a deep terracotta frieze composed of roundels containing quatrefoils. A carved octagonal font of the same marble as the walls sits to the centre of the baptistery on an octagonal plinth with an inscription bearing the names of those lost during the Second World War. The baptistery window, which is located to the west wall and depicts Jesus Christ reinstating Peter, is dedicated in memory of Susan Joynson.

The main 5-light west window above the baptistery entrance was installed in 1898 and depicts St Peter's three acts of faith: the two lights to the left depict the discovery of Christ's empty tomb; the two lights to the right depict the draught of fishes; and the raised centre light depicts St Peter walking on water.

At the east end of the nave, in front of the chancel arch, is a raised carpeted platform upon which sits a modern altar table. To the left is an ornate arcaded and columnar marble pulpit and to the right is a brass angel lectern. The chancel has tall arches to each north and south side (that to the south side is blind), in front of which are clergy and choir stalls of oak with carved end panels with Art Nouveau decoration. The arch on the north side of the chancel contains an organ rebuilt by Charles & Smethurst of Manchester in 1964. A door to the right, which forms part of the organ screen, leads through into the clergy vestry, which is also accessed via the north side aisle. The upper section of the blind south arch is lit by a window installed in 1970 by the Ladies Guild that originally formed part of the Dome Chapel, Bowdon, and has a decorative terracotta panel frieze below. The lower section of the arch incorporates a blind trefoil-arched arcade containing a carved oak screen incorporating panels depicting symbols of St Peter and a relief inscription in calligraphic lettering in memory of Isabella Brunskill, the wife of the church's first vicar. The screen also incorporates a door to the left, which leads through into the choir vestry, which is also accessed via the south-east porch.

The sanctuary is accessed via two steps and is fronted by carved oak sanctuary rails with cusped openings and pierced trefoil decoration. The sanctuary walls are lined with the same marble as the baptistery up to window-sill height with an integral reredos. The lower part of the reredos has a chequerboard pattern with four canopied niches above. The two outer niches are supported by columnar shafts with stiff-leaf capitals and contain statues; that to the left depicts St Peter, whilst that to the right depicts St John. The upper section of the reredos also incorporates mosaic panels depicting plants mentioned in the Gospels, whilst a larger gableted central panel with a cross finial contains a gold mosaic cross. On a raised platform in front of the reredos is an oak altar with a carved front incorporating painted panels depicting crops, including corn and grape vines. The north wall of the sanctuary has a trefoil-arched piscina, and to the south wall are trefoil-arched sedilia. The north and south walls each have a trefoil-arched window containing late C20 stained glass entitled 'All Things Bright and Beautiful', which depict daytime and nighttime countryside scenes in memory of three children from local families. The east window depicts the Ascension of Christ, which was the moment when St Peter commenced his work as one of the leaders of the early Christian church (the Twelve Apostles).

The north clergy vestry has exposed rafters, whilst the south choir vestry has a scissor-braced roof. The south-east porch contains a small trefoil-arched stained-glass window depicting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

The steeple is accessed externally and contains a sandstone spiral stair that leads to a room containing a clock by Gillert & Johnston of Croydon, which was given by Sarah Ann Whitehead in 1912. A ladder provides access up to the belfry, which does not contain any bells.

History

The Church of St Peter was constructed in 1890-2 to the designs of Tate & Popplewell of Manchester at a cost of over £6,755 to serve the growing population of Hale. The foundation stone was laid on 29 November 1890 by Mrs Susan Joynson, the wife of the church's principal patron, Richard Hampson Joynson, and it was dedicated by the Bishop of Chester on 16 June 1892. The church was consecrated in 1897. Many of the interior finishes and furnishings were provided by the Joynson family, and some of the stained glass was produced by the renowned firm of Heaton, Butler & Bayne. The First World War memorials in the baptistery were produced by Walter J Pearce.

Clement Heaton (1824-1882) and James Butler (1830-1913) learnt their trade in Warwick where Heaton was a glass painter and Butler was a lead glazier. In c 1851 Heaton left Warwick for London where he set up his own stained-glass studio. Two years later Butler followed Heaton and by 1857 they had founded the firm of Heaton and Butler. However, whilst the two men were good craftsmen their artistic ability did not compare to that of John Richard Clayton and Alfred Bell who were also working at the same time. It wasn't until Robert Turnill Bayne (1837-1915) joined the firm that they reached the top of stained-glass design; as chief designer he improved both their designs and colour palette. Bayne became a full partner in 1862 and the firm became known as Heaton, Butler & Bayne.

Walter J Pearce was a skilled craftsman based in Manchester and Master of the Northern Art Workers Guild, also teaching painting and decorative art at the Manchester School of Technology. He co-authored a book entitled 'Stencils and Stencilling' in 1895. His work can be found in a number of listed buildings.

Reasons for Listing

The Church of St Peter, constructed in 1890-2 to the designs of Tate & Popplewell, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural quality: it has an impressive and distinguished Gothic design incorporating imposing features, such as dramatically large clerestory windows, flying buttresses and a striking landmark steeple;

* Degree of survival: the church is little altered and retains its historic character and architectural integrity;

* Interior quality: the elegant and spacious interior uses unusual forms, such as the striking boat-shaped nave roof structure and soaring blind nave arcades to create strong architectural interest, which is enhanced by good-quality original furnishings, including Art Nouveau choir and clergy stalls, an elaborate canopied reredos and painted-panelled altar, and ornate pulpit;

* Artistic interest and craftsmanship: the interior contains a number of works of artistic note, including highly distinctive stained-glass clerestory windows by the renowned firm of Heaton, Butler & Bayne, and elaborate glass-mosaic and marble figurative First World War memorial panels in the baptistery by the notable stained-glass artist Walter J Pearce.

External Links

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