St Peter's Church, Stockport
Encyclopedia
St Peter's Church, Stockport is the second oldest parish church
in the town of Stockport
, Greater Manchester
, England. The church stands in St Peter's Square and is a Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church
in the diocese of Chester
, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Stockport. Its benefice
is combined with that of St Thomas, Stockport.
in 1888–89.
of the 19th century. This tradition is maintained with Sung Mass with Angelus
taking place on Sundays at 10.30am and said Mass on Fridays at 1.10pm.
At the centre of Stockport, it provides a space for quiet and reflection, being open, along with its café and shop, Tuesday to Friday from 11am to 2pm and on Saturday from 11am to 1pm.
and chancel
. The tower is in three stages with a west door above which is a round-headed window. The top, belfry
, stage is octagonal. The nave windows are also round-headed.
. Under the gallery is a white marble
font
. On the north wall of the chancel are three marble mural tablets which are to the memory of William Wright, the founder, and to two of the early vicars of the church. Also in the church is a hatchment
from the 18th or early 19th century to a member of the Wright family. There is one bell dated 1768. The communion plate includes a chalice
and a paten
dating from 1768.
The church nave contains the 1769 chair frame clock formerly in the bell tower, now restored to working order by Philip Quale and Alan Newton. It is claimed that this is the oldest working public clock in Greater Manchester. It was installed just after the church opened in 1769 and was made by John Whitehurst (1713-1788) of Derby. (Leaflet alongside clock in the church 2008)
The church has a fine set of Festive High Mass clerical vestment
s from about 1890 said to be made of Portuguese tapestry
comprising a tunical, a chasuble
and a dalmatic
. (Leaflet in the church 2008).
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the town of Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England. The church stands in St Peter's Square and is a Grade II* listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the diocese of Chester
Diocese of Chester
The Diocese of Chester is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York based in Chester, covering the county of Cheshire in its pre-1974 boundaries...
, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Stockport. Its benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
is combined with that of St Thomas, Stockport.
History
The church was built in 1768 at the sole cost of William Wright. A gallery was added in 1838 and an apseApse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
in 1888–89.
Current parish life and services
St Peter's is an Anglican church that was swept up in the Oxford MovementOxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
of the 19th century. This tradition is maintained with Sung Mass with Angelus
Angelus
The Angelus is a Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. The name Angelus is derived from the opening words: Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ The Angelus (Latin for "angel") is a Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. The name Angelus is derived from the opening words: Angelus...
taking place on Sundays at 10.30am and said Mass on Fridays at 1.10pm.
At the centre of Stockport, it provides a space for quiet and reflection, being open, along with its café and shop, Tuesday to Friday from 11am to 2pm and on Saturday from 11am to 1pm.
Structure
The church is built in brick with a west tower, naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. The tower is in three stages with a west door above which is a round-headed window. The top, belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, stage is octagonal. The nave windows are also round-headed.
Fittings and furniture
The interior of the church is light and spacious. At the west end is a gallery. The front of the church is panelled and has a coloured shield of arms depicting the cross keys of St PeterSaint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
. Under the gallery is a white marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
. On the north wall of the chancel are three marble mural tablets which are to the memory of William Wright, the founder, and to two of the early vicars of the church. Also in the church is a hatchment
Hatchment
A hatchment is a funeral demonstration of the lifetime "achievement" of the arms and any other honours displayed on a black lozenge-shaped frame which used to be suspended against the wall of a deceased person's house...
from the 18th or early 19th century to a member of the Wright family. There is one bell dated 1768. The communion plate includes a chalice
Chalice (cup)
A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for drinking during a ceremony.-Christian:...
and a paten
Paten
A paten, or diskos, is a small plate, usually made of silver or gold, used to hold Eucharistic bread which is to be consecrated. It is generally used during the service itself, while the reserved hosts are stored in the Tabernacle in a ciborium....
dating from 1768.
The church nave contains the 1769 chair frame clock formerly in the bell tower, now restored to working order by Philip Quale and Alan Newton. It is claimed that this is the oldest working public clock in Greater Manchester. It was installed just after the church opened in 1769 and was made by John Whitehurst (1713-1788) of Derby. (Leaflet alongside clock in the church 2008)
The church has a fine set of Festive High Mass clerical vestment
Vestment
Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially among Latin Rite and other Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, and Lutherans...
s from about 1890 said to be made of Portuguese tapestry
Tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom, however it can also be woven on a floor loom as well. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a...
comprising a tunical, a chasuble
Chasuble
The chasuble is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian Churches that use full vestments, primarily in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches, as well as in some parts of the United Methodist Church...
and a dalmatic
Dalmatic
The dalmatic is a long wide-sleeved tunic, which serves as a liturgical vestment in the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and United Methodist Churches, which is sometimes worn by a deacon at the Mass or other services. Although infrequent, it may also be worn by bishops above the alb and below...
. (Leaflet in the church 2008).