A good example of a medium-sized 1930s suburban church with a contemporary presbytery. The building contains original altars and pews, carefully retained in the 1980s reordering. The 1965 narthex is a distinctive design that complements the 1930s building; both phases are by well-regarded North West architectural firms.

Hazel Grove was initially part of the parish of Our Lady and the Apostles, Stockport. The first mission was established by Fr Waterhouse in the former Mount Zion Chapel on Commercial Road, in 1897. An independent parish was formed in 1923 by Fr Kirby, and a site for a school and church bought for £4,500. The new church was designed by the Liverpool firm of Edmund Kirby & Sons and cost £5,000; it was formally opened by the Bishop of Shrewsbury on 12 April 1931. A presbytery was built at the same time. In response to the growth of the parish, the church was extended in 1965, from designs by Reynolds & Scott. They also designed the parish centre of 1964.

Description

The church building is orientated with the sanctuary roughly to the northwest and the entrance facing the road to the southeast, but in this description, the sanctuary will be referred to as the east end and liturgical compass points used accordingly.

The church is faced in red brick, with clay Roman roof tiles. The style is loosely Italianate; the four bay nave is expressed externally by pilaster buttresses, each bay with a pair of steel round-headed windows and the eaves marked by a brick Lombard frieze. A larger narthex was added in 1965 from designs by Reynolds & Scott; this has segmental-headed openings and a reinforced concrete canopy, similar to that at St Bernadette’s by the same firm; the gable wall above is filled with abstract stained glass arranged in three panels. The sanctuary is plain with a blind east wall. A half- octagonal baptistery projects to the south end of the narthex.

Inside, the nave has a shallow barrel-vaulted plastered ceiling and walls are now plain plastered, originally fair-faced brick. The wide sanctuary arch is semi-circular and flanked by small chapels to Our Lady and Sacred Heart, also with semi-circular arches.  The 1965 narthex has a choir loft over with an open gallery front, and stained glass by Baxendale & Co. Ltd, dated 1965.  The nave floor is oak parquet, partly overlaid with carpet. The 1930s pitch pine pews were made by Shepherdsons of Great Moor. The sanctuary was re-ordered in the 198os when the altar rails were removed, but the 1930s polished limestone high altar with blind arcading, lectern and side altars all date from the 1930s. The 1930s statues of Our Lady and Sacred Heart were given by parishioners.The forward altar, in a matching design, oak dado and fitted carpet are recent additions.

Heritage Details