St Peter's Church, Stockport

St Peter's Church, Stockport
St Peter's Church, Stockport
	St Peter's Church, Stockport, from the southeast
	53°24′38″N 2°09′31″W / 53.4105°N 2.1587°W
Location	Stockport, Greater Manchester
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic (Forward in Faith)
Website	stpetersstockport.org.uk
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	St Peter
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architectural type	Church
Style	Georgian
Completed	1888
Specifications
Materials	Brick
Administration
Province	York
Diocese	Chester
Archdeaconry	Macclesfield
Deanery	Stockport
Parish	St Peter, Stockport
Clergy
Rector	Living currently suspended
Laity
Reader(s)
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name	Parish Church of St Peter
Designated	13 May 1952
Reference no.	1067159

St Peter's Church is the second-oldest parish church in the town of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The church stands in St Peter's Square (grid reference SJ894904) and is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.^[1] It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Stockport. Its benefice was combined with that of St Thomas, Stockport until 30 April 2012.^[2]

History

The church was built in 1768 at the sole cost of William Wright. A gallery was added in 1838 and an apse in 1888–89.^[3]

Current parish life and services

St Peter's is an Anglican church that was swept up in the Oxford Movement 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 12.30pm.^[4] It is a Forward in Faith parish under the alternative episcopal oversight of Glyn Webster, the Bishop of Beverley.

At the centre of Stockport, it provides a space for quiet and reflection, being open, along with its café and shop, Tuesday and Friday from 11am to 2pm. Every second Saturday of the month, there is a coffee morning and organ recital from 10.00am to 1pm.

Architecture

Structure

The church is built in brick with a west tower, nave 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.^[1]

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 Peter. 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.^[3] Also in the church is a hatchment from the 18th or early 19th century to a member of the Wright family.^[5] There is one bell dated 1768. The communion plate includes a chalice and a paten dating from 1768.^[3]

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 vestments from about 1890 said to be made of Portuguese tapestry comprising a tunical, a chasuble and a dalmatic. (Leaflet in the church 2008).

St. Peter's Church, Stockport
St. Peter's Church, Stockport

References

^ ^a ^b Historic England, "Parish Church of St Peter, Stockport (1067159)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 11 April 2015
^ Churches in the Diocese, Diocese of Chester, retrieved 30 July 2009
^ ^a ^b ^c Richards, Raymond (1947), Old Cheshire Churches, London: Batsford, pp. 312–314
^ The Parish Church of St Peter, Stockport, Diocese of Chester, retrieved 17 July 2008
^ Morant, Roland W. (1989), Cheshire Churches, Birkenhead: Countyvise, p. 176, ISBN 0-907768-18-0

[images-1] Historic England, "Parish Church of St Peter, Stockport (1067159)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 11 April 2015

[2] Churches in the Diocese, Diocese of Chester, retrieved 30 July 2009

[richards-3] Richards, Raymond (1947), Old Cheshire Churches, London: Batsford, pp. 312–314

[diocese-4] The Parish Church of St Peter, Stockport, Diocese of Chester, retrieved 17 July 2008

[5] Morant, Roland W. (1989), Cheshire Churches, Birkenhead: Countyvise, p. 176, ISBN 0-907768-18-0

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v t e Buildings and structures in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, England
Buildings	Abney Hall Barnes Hospital, Cheadle Bramall Hall Broadstone Mill, Reddish Cheadle Hulme School Elder Mill, Romiley Hat Works Houldsworth Mill, Reddish Houldsworth Working Men's Club Kingston Mill Mauldeth Hall Meadow Mill Mellor Hall Millennium House Moseley Old Hall, Cheadle New Hall, Woodford Old Manor Farm, Marple Nelstrops Albion Flour Mills Pear New Mill Plaza Cinema Staircase House Stockport Armoury Stockport Central Library Stockport College Stockport Town Hall Strawberry Studios Underbank Hall Vernon Mill Wear Mill Welkin Mill, Lower Bredbury Woodbank
Places of worship	All Saints Church, Marple Christ Church, Heaton Norris St Elisabeth's Church, Reddish St George's Church, Heaviley St Joseph's Church, Stockport St Martin's Church, Marple St Mary's Church, Cheadle St Mary's Church, Stockport Our Lady and the Apostles Church, Stockport St Peter's Church, Stockport St. Thomas' Church, Mellor St Thomas' Church, Stockport
Education	Aquinas College Bramhall High School Castle Hill High School, Offerton Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College Cheadle Hulme High School Harrytown Catholic High School Hazel Grove High School The Kingsway School Marple Hall School Priestnall School Reddish Vale High School St Anne's RC Voluntary Academy St James' Catholic High School Seashell Trust Stella Maris School Stockport Academy Stockport College Stockport Grammar School Stockport School Werneth School
Transportation	Bramhall railway station Bredbury railway station Brinnington railway station Cheadle Hulme railway station Davenport railway station Gatley railway station Hazel Grove railway station Heald Green railway station Heaton Chapel railway station Marple railway station Middlewood railway station Reddish North railway station Reddish South railway station Romiley railway station Rose Hill Marple railway station Stockport bus station Stockport Interchange Stockport railway station Strines railway station Woodley railway station Woodsmoor railway station
Shopping complexes	Grand Central Stockport Merseyway Shopping Centre The Peel Centre
Sport and entertainment	Avro Heritage Museum Edgeley Park Garrick Theatre Plaza Cinema, Stockport Stockport Air Raid Shelters
Bridges	Marple Aqueduct Stockport Viaduct
Others	Stepping Hill Hospital Stockport Sunday School
Demolished	Cheadle Heath railway station Cheadle Lower Mill Cheadle LNW railway station Cheadle North railway station Green Lane Hazel Grove (Midland) railway station Heaton Mersey railway station Heaton Norris railway station Mellor Mill Palmer Mills, Stockport Portwood railway station Stockport Castle Stockport Tiviot Dale railway station Wood Mill, Woodley
Lists	List of schools in Stockport List of mills in Stockport
Listed buildings in	Bredbury and Romiley Cheadle and Gatley Hazel Grove and Bramhall Marple Stockport