Church Of Emmanuel

Church of Emmanuel

A church built between 1895 and 1898 by the architects Preston and Vaughan. It is constructed of red brick in Flemish bond with red sandstone dressings and slate roofs, and is designed in the Perpendicular style.

The plan comprises a nave with west narthex, north and south aisles, a south baptistery, coupled north and south transepts, a crossing tower with transepts (containing a choir vestry to the north and war memorial chapel to the south), and a short chancel.

The five-bay nave features a pilastered clerestory with pairs of square-headed two-light traceried windows. A buttressed west gable displays a large Tudor-arched seven-light west window with tracery in the head, topped by a coped gable with traceried stone panel. A lean-to narthex, with buttresses, extends across the whole west end and incorporates a gabled south porch. The porch has a large moulded stone two-centred arched outer doorway protecting a segmental-headed inner doorway with Tudor flowers in the head, one letter marked E. The aisles are buttressed with parapets and large four-light windows featuring differing tracery. Both aisles have coupled transepts at the fourth and fifth bays, while the south aisle includes a canted baptistery with lean-to porch set in the angle with the transept. The baptistery has three traceried one-light windows, a parapet extending from the aisle, and a steeply-pitched roof with a polygonal hip surmounted by a finial. The transepts are buttressed with tall traceried four-light windows. The two-stage crossing tower contains a small south-west vice, pairs of louvred and traceried two-light belfry windows, a moulded cornice with Tudor-flower enrichment and corner gargoyles, an embattled parapet with enriched panels and octagonal corner turrets, and a copper-clad fleche surmounted by a cross. Tower transepts have stepped triple windows. The chancel consists of two very short bays with tall two-light windows and a large five-light east window with tracery.

The interior features a lofty vessel with yellow brick walls and red sandstone dressings. Arcades have octagonal columns with fillets carried up through the clerestory, with moulded capitals incorporating Tudor-flower ornament. Arches are moulded in three orders and carry pendent wrought-iron candelabra. A three-bay west arcade leads to the narthex. The ceiling is coffered timber; the choir and sanctuary have a tiled floor raised in five steps. Fittings include an alabaster pulpit and a carved octagonal font with carved pendent canopy.

Richard Bassnett Preston (1855–1934) had been a pupil of JS Crowther in Manchester and commenced independent practice in 1880. The partnership Preston and Vaughan lasted until 1900. Crowther was commissioned to design the church of St Thomas in Leigh, for which fundraising began in 1885, but he died in 1893. Construction of that church did not begin until 1902, though it is very similar to the church of Emmanuel.

The church forms a group with No.47, Melton Grange.