Weight: 84 lbs Diameter: 19.5" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by Naylor, Vickers & Co
Dove Bell ID: 54047 Tower ID: 20151 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Newton Flowery Field: St Stephen
Overview
Grid reference: SJ 945 960
A large Victorian town church of blackened stone located in a suburb of Manchester, just north of Hyde town centre. It was built in 1889-91 to a design by J Easton of Ashton-under-Lyne, with a grant from ICBS. It was intended to serve a population that was growing with the boom in local industries. It is a relatively standard, but dignified building in a combination of the Early English and Early Decorated styles. Significant features include the lancets, plate tracery and the tall steeple, visible from some distance around.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
5-bay aisled nave, clearstorey, polygonal chancel, south vestry and north organ chamber, south porch, north-west tower with porch underneath.
Description of Archaeology and History
Newton takes its name from Medieval Newton Hall, in existence from the 14th century and recently restored, ¼ mile down the road to the west. There are scattered finds from various periods in the Hyde area, but the archaeological potential of this site is low. The church was built in 1889-91 to a design by J Easton of Ashton-under-Lyne with a grant from the ICBS. The church served the growing population working in the local industries including Newton Mill (which produced stationery), with decline from the 1920s. The church was reordered in 1979 with a full height plastered screen with glazed doors at the bottom delineating a hall in the western three bays, and a ceiling inserted throughout. The vestry was previously a chapel.
Exterior Description
This is a fairly standard but dignified design in the Early English and Early Decorated style, with lancets and plate tracery. The tall nave and spire give some vertical emphasis. The 3-stage tower has angled corner buttresses, semi-octagonal stair turret, pointed double-arched north door, round (blank) clock apertures to the second stage, twin lancet belfry openings and a broach spire with lucarnes. On the south-west side is a gabled porch with pointed doorway in the west wall and 2-light plate tracery window in the south wall.
The aisles have a projecting plinth and weathered buttresses, and 2-light pointed aisle windows with plate tracery. The chancel has 2-lights to each wall except the east window, a lancet. There are two cusped lancet windows to each bay of the clearstorey. 4-light west window above a polygonal baptistery with lancets. South vestry with stack, and gabled north organ chamber and sacristry. Coped gables with kneelers and cross finials.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
19th century 5-bay aisled nave
Clerestory
19th century
Chancel
19th century polygonal
Vestry
19th century south
Porch
19th century south
Tower (component)
19th century north west
Stained Glass
1920
East window the Ascension, signed by Edward Hartwell of Manchester. c 1920.
Building Materials
Stone
19th century Rock-faced Pennine gritstone
Ashlar
19th century ashlar dressings
Slate
19th century slated roof
Interior
Interior Description
The interior has plastered walls, painted yellow but with pink to the lower sanctuary walls, and has seen considerable change. The narrow aisles and tall nave have been split vertically by screens into a west hall with kitchen and toilets on the south side, and horizontally by a suspended ceiling of polystyrene tiles below clearstorey level, meant to keep the heat in. The ceiling conceals a good tie-beam roof on columnar corbels and a fine polygonal barrel roof to the chancel. Chamfered nave arcade arches under hoodmoulds on circular columns with moulded capitals. The chancel arch is similar, very high but now vanishing into the ceiling at the springing.
There is a baptistery at the west end behind a moulded depressed arch, but the font has been moved forward of the screen. The nave is fully pewed beyond the screen, good quality pine benches with shaped ends and panelled backs. Tiled floors with geometric patterns, more elaborate in the chancel, mostly under orange carpet. There is a large moulded pointed arch with colonnettes in the west bay of the north chancel wall to the organ chamber, the pipes displayed, pointed doorways opposite each other to the vestry and sacristry in next bay east. Cusped aumbry, good choir stalls, High Altar and stained glass, a dignified ensemble.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
19th century oak chest with delicately carved tracery front
Reredos
19th century oak panelled reredos with carved cornice, panelling around the chancel walls
Pulpit
19th century oak pulpit with blind tracery set into stone chancel screen
Lectern
19th century elaborate brass lectern and wooden reading desk
Font (component)
19th century plain octagonal font with IHS symbol, round base and conical wooden cover
Plaque (component)
20th century brass plaques, list of vicars up to 1991
Organ (component)
19th century 2-manual organ
Bells
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers beginning in 1891.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SJ 945 960
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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