THE PARISH OF MOTTRAM IN LONGDENDALE

Aerial view of St. Michael's by Matt Sheldon

St. Michael & All Angels

The present church, a Grade II* listed building was built in the 15th century in the Perpendicular style. Sir Edmund Shaa, who lived locally but rose to fame and fortune as Lord Mayor of London, died in 1488 and left money for the building of the tower. It is possible that the whole church was rebuilt at the same time, perhaps as an enlargement of an earlier building. In 1855 the church had a major restoration, by local architect E. H. Shellard. The nave roof was raised, and the rather small upper (clerestory) windows replaced by the handsome ones we see today.

Apart from the Victorian restoration, the structure of the church remains much as it was when it was built 500 years ago. Each generation has left its mark, however, and this generation is no different.

Videos

A short tour around the Churchyard
A short tour around the interior of the Parish Church 

 

Some key features:
• The Tower is 20m high and houses a peel of 8 bells
• The are two separate side chapels within the building: the Staveleigh Chapel and the Hollingworth Chapel
• Two life-size Derbyshire stone effigies of Sir Ralph and Lady Elizabeth Staveleigh who died about 1420
• Marble statue of Reginald Bretland, Sergeant-at-Law, died 1703
• 12th century ‘barrel’ stone font, the oldest item of furniture in the church
• A finely carved alabaster pulpit in memory of E. H. Shellard
• The Mottram village war memorial, is housed inside the church
• In the churchyard are the Old Hearse House and the building of Mottram Grammar School
• In the churchyard is the empty grave of Lewis Brierley, whose body was stolen by body snatchers in 1827

Guide Book to Mottram Parish Church

You can download a comprehensive guide to Mottram Parish Church and its history by clicking here.

High quality printed copies of the Guide Book are also available from church, or by post from:

Guide Book Sales
14 Broadbottom Road, Mottram, Hyde, Cheshire, SK14 6JB.
Send a self-addressed A5 envelope with a cheque for £3.00 made out to ‘Mottram Parish Church’.

Or email booksales@ (all our email addresses* end with mottramparish.org.uk) or use the general contact form.

*We've broken up all the email addresses on this website, for spam protection.

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