Church Of St Anne

The Church of St Anne in Royton was built between 1908 and 1909, with the tower completed in 1926-1927. Designed by Temple Moore, the tower was finished by Leslie Moore following Temple Moore's design. The church is constructed from snecked stone and features a clay tile roof. It consists of a nave, chancel, and aisle passages all under one roof, with a shallow north organ transept balanced by a south tower. There are lean-to baptistry and porches at the west end, and a flat-roofed Lady Chapel at the east end. The church is designed in a Free Gothic style, with a 4-bay nave and chancel, plain buttresses, and 1, 3, and 1-light windows featuring reticulated tracery in each bay, while the chancel windows are more elaborately designed.

The gabled organ chamber and the unbuttressed 5-stage tower include a corner stair turret, bands separating each stage, a 4-light window on the second stage, 2-light flat-headed mullion windows with hoodmoulds, and castellations. The Lady Chapel, which appears externally to be the chancel, has a coped parapet, flat buttresses, 17th-century style mullioned clerestory windows, a rose window, and is flanked by lean-to vestries.

Inside, the church features ashlar sandstone dressings and a ceiled wagon roof that is decoratively painted. The wide nave arcade arches rest on square columns, subtly enclosing the aisle windows above seated recesses under round arches. The aisle passages extend along the chancel, reaching the east wall, which is pierced by three arches; the outer two provide access to the Lady Chapel. At the west end, the arches have been glazed in, and the former baptistery has been converted into a narthex or meeting room. The stone font has been relocated to the southeast corner of the nave. Notable timber fittings include a fine pulpit and two banks of choir stalls fronted by carved screens. The painted reredos and stained glass in the Lady Chapel were also designed by the architect.

This church is an outstanding example of Temple Moore's innovative approach to early 20th-century revivalism.