| Notes about the Church |
An Anglican church for the moor had been vigorously promoted by James Bateman of Biddulph Grange as early as 1850, and he spent a great deal of time in correspondence with local landowners able to subscribe to the project. An earlier idea, to convert part of a redundant mill into a place of worship came to nothing, and a plot of land was sought which would accommodate a high quality building designed in the then popular Italianate style. Bateman, together with his friend Edward Cooke eventually had to tailor their ambitions for a grandiose building to the amount of subscriptions received, and the unusual and attractive building which was eventually completed and consecrated in 1863.
The final design retained many of the architectural features associated with the Italianate style, including a fine apse. The then substantial sum of almost £600 was contributed by Bateman himself - through the sale of some of his prize orchids through Stevens, the London auctioneer. The builder, Mr Stanway, who tendered successfully at a cost of around £1500, still has descendants living in the area. The stone for the church was quarried at nearby Over the Hill - as was the stone for the school opposite the church, which is now the church hall, this was built in 1852. |
Those periods with zero data may span several decades. The first may include pre 1530 records.