St Stephen's Church, Astley | |
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The third St Stephen's Church | |
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53°30′04″N2°27′22″W / 53.501°N 2.456°W | |
Location | Astley, Greater Manchester. |
Country | England |
Denomination | Anglican |
Website | St Stephen - Astley |
History | |
Founded | 1631 |
Consecrated | 1968 |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Specifications | |
Materials | Brick |
St Stephen's Church is a parish church located in Astley, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican church built in 1968, and it is part of the Leigh deanery in the archdeaconry of Salford diocese of Manchester. Along with St George's Church, Tyldesley, and St John's Church, Mosley Common St Stephen's forms part of the united benefice of Astley, Tyldesley and Mosley Common. [1]
The origins of St Stephen's Church date back to Astley Chapel, a chapel of ease of Leigh Parish Church built in 1631 and its successor which was burned in an arson attack in 1961.
The first chapel, built and paid for by Adam Mort, a wealthy owner of Damhouse, who died in early 1631. The chapel was consecrated on August 3 of that same year by the Bishop of Chester. It was the first chapel of ease of the mother church of Leigh, and dedicated to St Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The chapel was built of local brick on part of the common. Reverend Thomas Crompton, appointed by Thomas Mort, became the first minister in 1632. [2]
The original chapel, constructed from local brick on part of the common, served the community for nearly 130 years until it was rebuilt after becoming dilapidated. In 1760, the first chapel was replaced by a slightly larger structure built on the same site. Thomas Froggatt of Damhouse contributed to the cost of the new construction. This second chapel, made from handmade brick, measured 54 ft 6 in (16.61 m) in length and 36 ft (11 m) in width. It could hold 170 people and had a nave with four side and two end windows, and a small chancel and had an embattled western tower containing a single bell. The chapel was enlarged in 1834, 1842, and 1847. [3]
The second chapel was destroyed by an arson attack on June 18, 1961. Rather than reconstructing on the same site, it was decided to relocate the church to a new site on Manchester Road. The third iteration of St Stephen's Church was consecrated on October 26, 1968.
The first minister was the son of William Crompton of Bedford and his successor was from Shakerley. They were both educated at Brasenose College, Oxford. [4]
1632 Thomas Crompton, B.A. (ejected for nonconformity).
1683 John Battersby
1702 Roger Seddon, died 1716
1716 James Marsh, died 1728
1732 Thomas Mawdesley, died 1769
1769 Robert Barker
1822 Thomas Birkett
1838 John Wilkinson Edwards, B.A. died 1840
1840 Alfred Hewlett, D.D. died 1885
1885 James Alexander Maxwell Johnstone, M.A
1970s Jack Finney 1980s John Findon 2010 Jonathan Carmyllie (Team rector of the united benefice of Astley, Tyldesley and Mosley Common) [5]
Atherton is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England and historically part of Lancashire. The town, including Hindsford, Howe Bridge and Hag Fold, is 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Bolton, 7 miles (11.3 km) east of Wigan, and 10 miles (16.1 km) northwest of Manchester. From the 17th century, for about 300 years, Atherton was known as Chowbent, which was frequently shortened to Bent, the town's old nickname. During the Industrial Revolution, the town was a key part of the Manchester Coalfield.
Astley is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, it is crossed by the Bridgewater Canal and the A580 East Lancashire Road. Continuous with Tyldesley, it is between Wigan and Manchester, both 8 miles (13 km) away. Astley Mosley Common ward had a population of 11,270 at the 2011 Census.
Tyldesley is a market town in Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, it is north of Chat Moss near the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, 8 miles (12.9 km) southeast of Wigan and 9 miles (14.5 km) northwest of Manchester. At the United Kingdom Census 2001, the Tyldesley built-up area subdivision, excluding Shakerley, had a population of 16,142.
Ellenbrook is a suburb of Worsley, in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. Ellenbrook is 6.8 miles (10.9 km) west of Manchester, 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Salford and 4.6 miles (7.4 km) south of Bolton. Historically a part of Lancashire, it is close to Astley, Mosley Common and Walkden, by the East Lancashire Road.
Mosley Common is a suburb of Tyldesley at the far-eastern edge of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it was anciently a hamlet in the east of the township of Tyldesley cum Shakerley, in the ancient parish of Leigh. The area of Mosley Common in 1747 was 34 acres (14 ha) statute s.
Chowbent Chapel is an active Unitarian place of worship in Atherton, Greater Manchester, England. It was built in 1721 and is the oldest place of worship in the town. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British Unitarians. The chapel was granted Grade II* Listed status in 1966.
Shakerley is a suburb of Tyldesley in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. It was anciently a hamlet in the northwest of the township of Tyldesley cum Shakerley, in the ancient parish of Leigh. The boundary between Shakerley and Hindsford is the Hindsford Brook. It remains the boundary between Tyldesley and Atherton. Hyndforth Bridge across the brook, was rebuilt in stone in 1629.
St George's Church is an Anglican parish church serving Tyldesley and Shakerley in Greater Manchester, England. It is part of Leigh deanery in the archdeaconry of Salford and the diocese of Manchester. The church, together with St Stephen's Church, Astley and St John's Church, Mosley Common is part of the united benefice of Astley, Tyldesley and Mosley Common.
The Tyldesley Top Chapel is a chapel in Tyldesley. It is a Grade II Listed building.
The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin is a Church of England parish church in Leigh, Greater Manchester, England. It is a member of the Salford & Leigh deanery in the archdeaconry of Salford, diocese of Manchester. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.
Tyldesley cum Shakerley Urban District and its successor Tyldesley Urban District was, from 1894 to 1974, a local government district in Lancashire, England.
The Astley and Tyldesley Collieries Company formed in 1900 owned coal mines on the Lancashire Coalfield south of the railway in Astley and Tyldesley, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England. The company became part of Manchester Collieries in 1929 and some of its collieries were nationalised in 1947.
Bedford, a suburb of Leigh, Greater Manchester is one of three ancient townships, Bedford, Pennington and Westleigh, that merged in 1875 to form the town of Leigh. Historically, Bedford was in Lancashire.
Damhouse or Astley Hall is a Grade II* Listed building in Astley, Greater Manchester, England. It has served as a manor house, sanatorium, and, since restoration in 2000, houses offices, a clinic, nursery and tearooms.
New Hall moated site is a scheduled monument in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, England. It includes a moat and an island platform on which a modern house has been built. The island was the site of a medieval building. The moat measures between 20 and 30 metres across and is widest at the south west corner where the water soaks away to join a stream. The moat was revetted on the south side but the stonework is destroyed and is bridged on the same side by a modern stone bridge which replaced a timber structure. The rectangular island, measuring 60 metres by 40 metres, encloses an area of 0.25 hectares and is 0.4 metres above the surrounding land. Archaeological evidence of the medieval buildings will be present on the island and the moat will retain other environmental evidence. A ruined post-medieval farmhouse occupied a third of the island in 1983. The present modern buildings are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is part of the schedule.
Sacred Heart Church is a Grade II listed redundant Roman Catholic church on Tyldesley Road, Hindsford, Atherton in Greater Manchester, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.
St Joseph's Church is an active Roman Catholic church on Chapel Street in Bedford, Leigh in Greater Manchester, England. It is in the parish of St Edmund Arrowsmith. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.
St John's Church is an Anglican church on Mosley Common Road, Mosley Common, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active church built in 1886 and part of Leigh deanery in the archdeaconry of Salford, diocese of Manchester. Together with St George and St Stephen, is part of the united benefice of Astley, Tyldesley and Mosley Common.
Garrett Hall or The Garrett is a former manor house and now a grade II listed farmhouse in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, England. This hall was designated a grade II listed building in 1987.
Chaddock Hall was an ancient hall on Chaddock Lane in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, England. It was designated a Grade II listed building in 1966. It was gutted in an arson attack in 2014.
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