St Peter's Church, Stockport

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]

St Peter's Church, Stockport
St Peter's Church, Stockport, from the southeast
53.4105°N 2.1587°W
Location	Stockport, Greater Manchester
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic (Forward in Faith)
Website	St Peter's, Stockport
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	St Peter
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	14 May 1952
Architectural type	Church
Style	Georgian
Completed	1888
Specifications
Materials	Brick
Administration
Parish	St Peter, Stockport
Deanery	Stockport
Archdeaconry	Macclesfield
Diocese	Chester
Province	York
Clergy
Rector	Living currently suspended

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 2nd Saturday of the month coffee morning and organ recital from 10.00am to 1pm, admission free, drink and a homemade cake £1

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).

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

See also

• List of churches in Greater Manchester
• Listed buildings in Stockport

References

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