St George's Church, Hyde

St George's Church is on Church Street, Hyde, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Mottram, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield, and the diocese of Chester.[1] The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.[2] It was a Commissioners' church, having received a grant towards its construction from the Church Building Commission.[3]

St George's Church, Hyde
St George's Church, Hyde, from the southeast
St George's Church, Hyde is located in Greater Manchester
St George's Church, Hyde
St George's Church, Hyde
Location in Greater Manchester
53°26′48″N 2°04′44″W / 53.4466°N 2.0788°W / 53.4466; -2.0788
OS grid referenceSJ 949 944
LocationChurch Street, Hyde,
Greater Manchester
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
WebsiteSt George, Hyde
History
StatusParish church
DedicationSaint George
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II
Designated1 October 1985
Architect(s)T. W. and C. Atkinson
Architectural typeChurch
StyleGothic Revival
Groundbreaking1831
Completed1832
Specifications
Capacity250
MaterialsStone, slate roof
Administration
ProvinceYork
DioceseChester
ArchdeaconryMacclesfield
DeaneryMottram
ParishSt George, Hyde
Clergy
Vicar(s)Revd Jeremy Bentliff
Curate(s)Callum
Laity
Reader(s)Barbara Hollington, David Hollington, Susan Nykorak, Marjorie Trueman
Organist(s)Wendy Richardson
Churchwarden(s)Carol Richardson (head warden), Dorothy Goodwin (odd job woman), Mark Harrison
Parish administratorWendy Richardson

History edit

St George's was built in 1831–32 to a design by T. W. and C. Atkinson.[4] A grant of £4,788 (equivalent to £470,000 in 2021)[5] was given towards its construction by the Church Building Commission.[3] It was originally a chapel of ease to St Mary's Church, Stockport.[6] A shallow chancel was added in 1882–83.[4] The interior of the church was remodelled in 1885, the pulpit being moved from its previous central position, the seating was changed, and the organ was relocated.[2] Considerable damage was done to the structure and furnishings of the church in the 1980s by dry rot.[4]

Architecture edit

The church is constructed in stone with a slate roof.[2] Its architectural style is Gothic Revival.[3] The plan consists of a seven-bay nave with north and south aisles, a single-bay chancel, and a west tower. The tower is in three stages and contains a west door above which is a four-light window. The middle stage contains circular clock faces, and in the upper stage are two-light bell openings. At the top of the tower is a coped parapet. On the corners of the tower, and at the corners of the body of the church, are octagonal columns rising to form pinnacles.[2] Along the sides of the church are lancet windows.[4] The east window has five lights. On the wall of the south aisle is a sundial.[2] In 1838 a two-manual pipe organ by Samuel Renn was installed. This was rebuilt in 1912 by Ravensdale of Stockport, but is no longer in the church.[7] There is a ring of eight bells, all cast in 1920 by John Taylor and Company of Loughborough.[8]

External features edit

Outside the church are two associated structures, both of which are listed at Grade II. At the entrance to the churchyard on the north side is a lychgate dated 1855. It consists of a stone base with octagonal stone piers and timber posts supporting a slate roof. The ridge of the roof consists of pierced tiles, and on the gables are cross finials.[9] To the northwest of the church is a hearse house constructed in stone with a slate roof. Its keystone is inscribed with the date 1841 and a skull and crossbones.[10] The churchyard contains memorial headstones commemorating six soldiers of World War I who buried in it, but whose graves are not individually marked.[11]

List of vicars edit

The list of vicars of St George's church, Hyde since the church was built in 1832; source:[12]

  • Herbert Allkin (1832–1849)
  • Alexander Read (1849–1875)
  • William H. Lowder, M.A. (1875–1888)
  • William G. Bridges, M.A. (1888–1906)
  • John A. Davys, M.A. (1906–1916)
  • Harold J. Graham, M.A. (1916–1931)
  • Frederic C. Sellar, M.A. (1932–1933)
  • Edward V. Dawson, B.A. (1933–1942)
  • Thomas A. Parker, L.TH. (1942–1955)
  • Duncan Baird (1955–1967)
  • L. Roy Lawrence, M.A. (1968–1975)
  • Michael W. Walters, BSc (1975–1982)
  • Geoffery H. Greenough, B.A. B.D. (1982–1987)
  • John H. Darch, M.A. (1988–1999)
  • T. S. McCabe, BSc (2000)
  • Steven J. Wilson, Btech (2000–2010)
  • Joanna C. Parker, M.A. (2011–2017)
  • Jeremy Bentliff (2018–present)

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ St George, Hyde, Church of England, retrieved 18 April 2012
  2. ^ a b c d e Historic England, "Church of St George, Tameside (1068080)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 18 April 2012
  3. ^ a b c Port, M. H. (2006), 600 New Churches: The Church Building Commission 1818-1856 (2nd ed.), Reading: Spire Books, p. 331, ISBN 978-1-904965-08-4
  4. ^ a b c d Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, p. 409, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
  5. ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017), "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)", MeasuringWorth, retrieved 11 June 2022
  6. ^ Church History, GENUKI, retrieved 18 April 2012
  7. ^ Cheshire (Manchester, Greater), Hyde, St. George (N02077), British Institute of Organ Studies, retrieved 18 April 2012
  8. ^ Hyde, S George, Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers, retrieved 18 April 2012
  9. ^ Historic England, "Lychgate at Church of St George, Tameside (1068081)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 18 April 2012
  10. ^ Historic England, "Hearse house at Church of St George, Tameside (1356446)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 18 April 2012
  11. ^ HYDE (ST. GEORGE) CHURCHYARD, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, retrieved 6 February 2013
  12. ^ "Vicars of St George's (C) Gerald England". www.geograph.org.uk.