Diameter: 23.25" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1849
Dove Bell ID: 54412 Tower ID: 20342 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Godley-cum-Newton Green: St John the Baptist
Overview
Grid reference: SJ 958 953
E. H. Shelland, 1849-50 for the Church Commissioners, worship having been held locally in hired rooms since 1837. S porch added 1867, tower 1879, renovations and interior alterations 1885-91, organ built in new chamber 1894, extensive interior alterations with removal of W gallery 1911, electric lighting installed and lych gate built 1919-20.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Five-bay nave with N and S aisles, chancel, tower with stair turret and spirelet, S porch, organ chamber, vestry.
Footprint of Church buildings: 536 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
There have not been any significant archaeological finds in the vicinity of the church. There are many burials and cremated remains in the large churchyard.
In 1837, a small group of people began meeting for religious worship in a small room near the Commercial Hotel and then in larger quarters in a room attached to the old 'Church Inn' in Sandhill street. The first vicar was appointed in 1847, with an ecclesiastical district carved out of the old parish of Mottram in Longdendale; he worked indefatigably to raise money, writing 169 letters asking for donations. The first sod of the cemetary surrounding the church was turned in September 1848 and the Foundation Stone was laid in March 1849. The church and churchyard were consecrated by the Bishop of Chester in April 1850. Church Schools opened before the church, in January 1850.
There are some tree preservation orders.
Exterior Description
St John’s is approached from the south, via a lych-gate in the low stone wall that surrounds the churchyard. It is built of broken-coursed rubble with dressings and a low plinth. The roofs are in graduated slates with iron ridge ornaments.
To the SW, a steeply roofed porch with low lancet windows and diagonal buttresses. Moving clockwise around the building, there are small structures in the crook of the tower and the N and S aisles, with lancet openings (apparently used for storage). In W wall of N and S aisles, window with Geometrical tracery, two cusped lights with quatrefoil above.
The tower has three stages divided by string-courses beneath embattled parapet. Stair turret at SW corner, topped with a spirelet, does much to give a touch of flair to the entire composition of the church, otherwise conventional. On N and S sides, single lancet window to first stage, two smaller lancets to second stage. On W side, a door with hood-moulding; across first and second stages, window with hood-moulding, geometrical tracery, three lancets, cusped, with trefoils, daggers and mouchettes. To N, S and W, at second stage, is a clock face with a hood moulding; at third stage, belfry opening, hood-moulded (two light, cusped, with trefoil and mouchettes above). Angle buttress to NW. There are gargoyles to the corners of tower beneath parapet. The tower has a pyramidal slate roof.
The N and S aisles have each two pairs of windows with buttresses between. The windows have geometrical tracery; each has two lancets, cusped, with quatrefoils above. The N aisle has a blank wall where S aisle has porch. Both the aisles and the east wall of the church have stone-coped gables. The E wall of the N aisle as a blank wall to which is attached the vestry chimney. The low, lean-to vestry has two lancet windows and a pointed-arched door with a stone-coped gable and a buttress.
The chancel has a slightly lower roof than the nave. The E wall has angle buttresses and a string course just beneath the windows. The E window, like the W (tower) window and the original W window, now internal, has Geometrical tracery with three lancets, cusped, with trefoils, daggers and mouchettes, and a hood moulding.
The S aisle is like the N except for an addition at the E end to make an organ chamber. Its later date is evident from its blank wall and different colour slates but it is otherwise well matched to the existing fabric.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
19th century 5-bay
Aisle
19th century north and south
Chancel
19th century
Tower (component)
19th century added
Spire
19th century
Porch
19th century
Organ (component)
19th century chamber
Vestry
19th century
Building Materials
Stone
19th century Broken coursed rubble with dressings.
Slate
19th century roof
Lead
19th century valleys
Iron
19th century ridge ornaments
Plaster
19th century inside walls
Timber
19th century roof structure
Interior
Interior Description
Entry is through the S porch, up two steps. The S doorway is a pointed arch holding a two-leaf oak door, cross-braced, with wrought-iron hinges. Within, above, is a dedication stone. Within the porch, the steeply pitched roof is supported by seven closely spaced scissor trusses; there is bench seating on each side, and a flagstone floor. The inner wooden door is single leaf, with ornamented iron hinges, within a pointed arch with chamfered cusped opening (mirrored in wood on the door itself) and a roll-moulded surround. Beyond, occupying the W end of the S aisle, is a draught lobby in stained wood, ornamented with blind tracery. Entry to the church is through a two-leaf door with clear glazed pointed-arched panels, with small pieces of stained glass in the spandrels.
The interior of the church is a grand, lofty space. The aisles are defined by wide pointed arches springing from octagonal stone columns with plain roll-moulded capitals. The roof structure, arch-braced with king posts, is in dark timber against white ceiling, to fine effect.
The church was originally floored with stone flags: these survive but have been overlaid with vinyl tiles, red with bordering strips of cream and green. The central aisle has ornamental floor grilles and a carpet runner. The church is seated with fixed pews on raised wooden platforms. Light fittings appear to be gaslights which have been converted to electricity.
Moving around the church, the west wall features a large stained glass window, now internal. Like the E window, it has Geometrical tracery, and features three lancets, with trefoils, daggers and mouchettes. Beneath, a square-topped stone arch, chamfered, with cusped moulding (with the arms of Queen Adelaide mounted above) gives onto a shallow lobby, and then a pointed arch holding a wooden door, two leaf, with cusped glazed panelling to doors and panelled glazed transom above. The space beneath the tower has been converted to a crèche but is now used as a general-purpose storeroom. In the SW corner, through a small square-topped door, a spiral staircase leads up to the clock chamber and up to the tower roof. Two small doors to the SE and NE of the tower lead to storage spaces; the W tower door is covered by a curtain.
Back in the nave, at the W end of the central aisle on the N side is a baptistery, the font set in a small enclosure formed by low wooden rails with wrought iron gates. There are wardens’ stalls marked by mounted wands, with frontals, against the W wall. Some pews have been cleared from the E and W ends of the N aisle, creating space for flower arranging at the W end and for an altar at the E.
The chancel is defined by low wooden walls (of recent date) and is raised by two steps. Within the chancel, the floor is mosaic laid in black, white and yellow. Fixed choir stalls stand on raised platforms. The pulpit, on the N side, is accessed via the chancel. There is a raised wooden sanctuary dais, with one step at communion rail and two more steps to altar. Reredos with deep wooden mouldings and corner niches forming sedilia. Above, the E window with hood moulding and colonette surround. The chancel ceiling is painted red with closely spaced arched braces in dark timber. The organ case is on the S side of the chancel with projecting pipes. At the E end of the N aisle is a screen to the organ chamber, which has wooden panelling to dado level with leaded glazing and blind tracery above, with organ pipes above.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
20th century Oak, 1938, given in memory of Miss Helena Markendale.
Pulpit
20th century Oak, 1938, given by Haughton family.
Lectern
20th century Brass eagle, 1912, given by Women's Bible Class.
Font (component)
19th century Octagonal stone font, 1850, given by John Turner Esq., with oak cover given by Mother's Union in memory of the Reverend E A Heberden MA, incumbent.
Reredos
19th century Wood, painted and grained. Commandments painted on zinc above.
Pew (component)
19th century Pine pews with trefoil ends.
Stall
19th century Choir stalls, 1866, given by Richard Shiers Markendale Esq. of Oaklands, Godley.
Rail
20th century Communion rails, oak 1937, given by Mr E J Cobbett in memory of his wife and daughter.
Organ (component)
19th century 3 manual pipe organ, 32 stops, given by Mrs and Miss Horsfield of Longlands, Godley.
Clock
19th century In the tower. Rd. Roberts, 1851. Three faces. A plaque records it as the gift of Mr Harrold Harrop, parishioner and postman, who bought it from Kingston Mill in Hyde and personally fixed it in the tower in 1936.
Plaque (component)
20th century S aisle: in memory of Matthew Delaney, accidentally killed at Godley Junction where he worked, 1901, erected by his workmates. E side of N aisle: in memory of Mrs Blakehurst, “in affectionate remembrance of her exemplary conduct and labours as a teacher in the Sunday School connected with this church.” W wall: brass plaque to Canon Samuel May, incumbent.
Stained Glass (window)
19th century E window: E. C. Clutterbuck, 1866, painted glass, depicting the nativity, crucifixion and ascension (above) and the baptism of Christ, Jesus blessing the children and the Last Supper (below). Chancel, N: the Good Shepherd. Given in memory of Joseph Fell. S aisle: two: St Cecilia and St Luke, given in memory of Robert Higham and his wife Jane Hannah; and Moses the Lawgiver and King David, given in memory of Samuel Fidler and his wife Margaret. W window: three panels giving the story of the Good Samaritan (the man wounded by thieves; his discovery by the Good Samaritan; his arrival at the inn), given in memory of the Reverend R. K. Bateson, first vicar of the parish, and his family.
Bells
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
WW1: Lectern bible given in memory of Richard Stevens, by his parents.
Baptism register since 1909; burial register since 1907; register of graves since 1850; marriage register since 1970; banns of marriage register since 1990; service register since 1984; confirmations register since 1976.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SJ 958 953
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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