St Alban's Macclesfield

Jewel In The Town
Heritage Project

Timeline of Building St Alban's Church

• 1839-41 Church built in one phase

• 1850 or 1854 Pulpit installed either to Edward Pugin’s design or acquired from elsewhere

• 1867 Presbytery begun

• c1870 Cloister added

• 1891 Sacred Heart altar erected

• 1982 New sanctuary created by architect Richard O’Mahony, new work included a modern stone altar, Gothic celebrant’s chair and two deacon’s chairs

Significant Historical Dates

The Diocesan Year Book lists four significant dates for St. Alban’s parish, Macclesfield: 1792, 1811; 1841 and the consecration date 22nd of October 1931.

1792 marks the beginning of the Macclesfield mission when the Rev. Edward Kenyon acquired two rooms in Backwallgate for Catholic worship. Before that date Mass had been said at Sutton Hall, and when this was no longer possible, in the home of the Misses Orme. For a number of years a French émigré priest Rev L. Robin lived in Backwallgate and was responsible for the first Baptismal register beginning in 1795.

1811 saw the official opening of St. Michael’s chapel on Chester Road opposite the present church. It also incorporated a school. Mass was said there every fourth week. On the intervening Sundays prayers were led by a member of the congregation.

Maundy Thursday 1821 saw the arrival in Macclesfield of Dr. John Hall who was to have an impact on Catholic life, not only in Macclesfield and the surrounding area, but throughout Cheshire. To accommodate his growing congregation he planned a new church. A W Pugin was chosen as architect, largely under the influence of the Earl of Shrewsbury a noted benefactor of the Church. When the foundation stone was laid, the address was given by the Hon. Rev. George Spencer.

The church was opened 25th May, 1841, when the special preacher was the future Cardinal Wiseman. For a time the church served as a cathedral for the Diocese after the restoration of the hierarchy. In 1851 the Rev. James Brown was consecrated the first bishop of Shrewsbury. Fr. Hall was appointed Vicar General. The first Diocesan Synod was held in St. Alban’s in 1852.

Many embellishments were added to the Church during the incumbency of Canon Cleary (1910- 1937). He planned to raise the tower to its originally intended height but, more prudently the money was spent on strengthening the foundations.

Mgr. H.R. Kelly (who, like Dr. Hall became Provost of the Diocese) was parish priest from 1937 to 1978. In 1939 the parish of St. Edward was founded covering the southern part of the town. Post-war building in the town led to an increase in Catholic numbers. Mgr. Kelly’s greatest legacy was the provision of a new primary school, and All Hallows secondary school (now All Hallows Catholic College).

Rev. C. Dwyer (1978-1991) undertook the task of re-ordering St. Alban’s church to reflect more nearly the needs of the new liturgical thinking after the Second Vatican Council. This work took place in 1982. When renovation proved too costly the old primary school, which had once housed St. Michael’s chapel was demolished and a new parish centre was built on the same site.

Father Peter Burke (1999-present) took St Alban's into the 21st Century. With the St Alban's church having become a listed building, the scope of all restorations and modification to the building became somewhat more restricted. Nonetheless, in 2003, conservationists restored the original Pugin wall decoration in the chancel. Five years later, new Pugin-like light fittings were installed. This followed work to replace the stone work around many of the churches windows and to restore the wooden floor in the nave.

2011 was a momentous year for St Alban's. The Parish celebrated 200 years since its founding and the building of St Michael's Chapel. Several events were held throughout the year, culminating with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Mark and past and present priests of the Parish. At the end of the year Father Burke celebrated his 40th sacredotal anniversary with a celebratory Mass followed by a social gathering of the Parish at All Hallows Catholic College.

Details taken from "St Alban's Macclesfield" (2012) by M.J. Ullman; "St Alban's, Macclesfield: Heritage Statement" (2017) by J. Crowley

Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-1852) was the son of a french refugee. His talent was recognised very early: at the age of fifteen he was employed to design Gothic furniture for Windsor Castle. At the age of only twenty-four, he was asked by Charles Barry to design fixtures and fittings for the new Houses of Parliament. He was a prolific architect, designer, draftsman, and writer. Inspired by the original Gothic style, he became the leading proponent of its revival, earning him the title "God's architect".

Two significant events in his life took place within a period of about two years. About 1832 Pugin met the Earl of Shrewsbury who was to become one of his most generous patrons. In 1834, he became a convert from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism.

Pugin's life was one of intense activity. Best known for his work on the Houses of Parliament, he designed over one hundred buildings, many of them churches. The pace and intensity of his lifestyle eventually took its toll and he died at his home in Ramsgate on 14th September 1852

Pugin's Architectural Principles

Pugin's views on architecture were firmly held and forthrightly expressed. He laid down two major design principles: "First, that there should be no features about a building which are not necessary for convenience, construction, or propriety; second, that all ornament should consist of enrichment of the essential construction of the building" ('The True Principles of Pointed or Christian Architecture', 1841)

Pugin also subscribed to the view that there is a specifically Catholic architecture, which should be based upon the liturgy and traditions of the Church. This led him to espouse "Pointed" or "Gothic" styles.

The Ideal Parish Church

Pugin had a very clear idea of what he considered to be the ideal Catholic parish church. It should have a nave, a tower or bellfry and a southern porch; a rood screen with a rood loft, wooden seats with low backs and a stone or wooden pulpit.

The chancel floor whould be a least one step above the nave and should have an altar consisting of a single slab of stone on solid masonry or pillars. On the epistle side, the right hand side of the chancel looking towards the high altar, there should be three niches (the sedilia) partly set in the wall to seat the three ministers at High Mass.

Extract taken from "St Alban's Macclesfield" (2012) by M.J. Ullman

BBC Documentary: Pugin: God's Own Architect

In 2012, BBC 4 aired Pugin: God's Own Architect, a fascinating documentary about Pugin's work. The BBC offers the following summary:

"Augustus Northmore Welby Pugin is far from being a household name, yet he designed the iconic clock tower of Big Ben as well as much of the Palace of Westminster. The 19th-century Gothic revival that Pugin inspired, with its medieval influences and soaring church spires, established an image of Britain which still defines the nation. Richard Taylor charts Pugin's extraordinary life story and discovers how his work continues to influence Britain today."

Watch the documentary on YouTube in four parts:

St Alban's is a mid-nineteenth century Catholic church, designed in the Perpendicular Gothic style with Germanic influence by A.W.N. Pugin; Pugin soon abandoned this style in favour of the Second Pointed with which he became synonymous. It retains many original features, which demonstrate the liturgical practices of the day as well as Pugin's own ideals.

St Alban's church is rich with many fascinating architectural details. The best way to enjoy these is to visit the church or take the virtual tour. Some of the features worth special mention are:

The Chancel

The chancel is the area set aside for the solemn celebration of Mass and separated from the nave by the rood screen. The steps of St Alban's chancel are more numerous, narrower and steeper than those shown in the original drawings. The design of the sedilia was also altered from three seats at different levels to all the ministers having seating on the same level.

At the top of the chancel steps, the high altar consists of blocks of stone covered by a single stone slab. The relics sealed in the altar stone are of St Thomas of Canterbury. The reredos behind the altar is made up of thirteen canopied niches containing figures of Our Lord and the twelve apostles.

The original Tabernacle was replaced in 1911 and again during refurbishments in the 1990s.

The window behind the high altar was a gift from the Earl of Shrewsbury. Unusually instead of a representation of one of the Persons of the Blessed Trinity, the centre of the window has a figure of St Alban. It has been suggested convention was not followed because a mural painting of God the Father surrounded by angels was to be found above the arch separating the chancel from the nave. This is no longer visible. In the upper part of the Gothic window are angels in albs bearing scrolls with various passages from Scripture and shields with emblems of the Passion. In the quatrefoils are Talbot lions recalling the family name of the donor.

The stenciling around the chancel was restored in 2003. During this time, original Pugin stencil work was exposed and is visible high up on the west wall of the chancel.

The Rood Screen

The screen is considered one of Pugin's finest, consisting of eight open panels and a pair of large gates. The figures dominating the screen were brought from Louvain. They are fifteenth century German figures, which were restored to their original colours by Pugin. The figures depict Jesus on the Cross, Mary his Mother and John the Evangelist. An early pencil drawing by Pugin shows six large candlesticks attached to the rail of the rood loft.

The Nave

The major feature of the nave is the very slender pillars, with a four-shafts-and-four-hollows section. High up on the walls are ten closely set windows on either side with a panelled open roof space above. This open feature, displaying functional beauty and providing more light, is a particular Pugin characteristic.

The floor of the nave was originally flagged in stone. This was replaced by wood block in about 1930. The wood block was continued through into the cloisters and sacristy in 1933. The entire floor was refurbished in 2008.

The Baptismal Font

The font was originally at the back of the nave, at the north end of the west aisle. It is a hexagonal structure and set on a pedestal on a raised step. Each face of the hexagon has a different shield with various religious emblems.

The Lady Chapel

Originally the Lady Chapel was to be separate from the west aisle by a screen but due to a shortage of funds in 1841, the screen was not added.

In 1846, a presentation of eighty-two guineas made to Fr Hall to mark his silver jubilee was donated to provide the stained glass window for the Lady Chapel. In the centre of the window is a crowned figure of Our Lady with St Edward the Confessor and St John the Evangelist to the sides. In the lower section of the window, on the right hand side is the figure of Fr Hall knelt at prayer. The lower left section shows Fr Hall kneeling amongst other donors to the parish.

In 1854, money raised by the children from the parish school, a raffle and charity sermons, funded the building of the stone reredos for the Lady Altar. Originally designed by Pugin the reredos were carved and erected by Richard Hassell who was paid £50 for his work. Further work was done in the Lady Chapel in 1930 when it was redecorated and the reredos were enriched with gold. Ten "half angels", painted on canvas, were attached to the walls with each angel bearing a scroll with an invocation from the Litany of Loreto.

The Sacred Heart Altar

The altar fills the space which was formally the doorway into the priest's sacristy. The altar was installed in 1891 and a plaque by the side of the altar tells us that the erection of the altar coincided with the church's Golden Jubilee and marked a mission given by the Jesuit fathers.

Above the altar are stone figures representing, in the centre, Our Lady Help of Christians, St Peter of Alcantara and St Winefride of Wales; patrons of the Shrewsbury diocese. Above and behind these figures is a window with three small scenes relating to the theme of forgiveness. The window was a gift of Fr Hall.

The Pulpit

The stone pulpit originated from Louvain and was acquired by either Augustus or Edward Pugin. In 1860, Richard Hassell was paid £52 to install the pulpit. A photograph from 1902 shows the pulpit in front of and attached to the chancel screen. It appears that access to the pulpit would have been through the panel of the screen adjacent to the sacristy. Today the screen shows no evidence of having been adapted for this purpose but records in 1887 complained that, "...through some incomprehensible motive, our St Alban's rood screen has been cut down, to the great regret of many people".

The Stations of the Cross

Along the east, north and west walls of the church are framed pictorial scenes of The Stations of the Cross. The original Stations, in 1841, were large wooden paintings. The present Stations are made of terracotta on wood and were purchased in 1922 at a total cost of £250. Each new Station was bought by an individual person or family and their dedication was painted on the wall beneath the Station; these have since been painted over. The donor of the new Station was given the corresponding old Station.

The First World War Memorial

Standing adjacent to the west wall, in front of the Lady Chapel, is a memorial to thirty-eight parishioners who died in service during WW1. The upper part of the memorial is a statue of St Joseph, the patron saint of the dying. Beneath the statue is a marble plinth that listed the names of each serviceman. The memorial was unveiled in December 1920.

Find out more

Details taken from "St Alban's Macclesfield" (2012) by M.J. Ullman; "St Alban's, Macclesfield: Heritage Statement" (2017) by J. Crowley; St Alban's WW1 website

Hanging up high on the east wall is a unique full-size drawing made by the stained glass artist, Margaret Rope (see image above right); this is one of very few Margaret Rope cartoons known to exist. The cartoon shows a scene that was to become the central panel of the final window in Shrewsbury Cathedral (see image above left). The lower part of the cartoon shows the gallows of Tyburn in 1581 where St Ralph Sherwin, St Alexander Bryant and St Edmund Campion were martyred.

This very rare cartoon was lent in 2016 to a national art exhibition of Margaret Rope's work.

Find out more

Margaret Rope Awareness Project

St Alban's and its connection with Pugin have attracted many researchers over the years. Here we share some research papers that give an insight into the history of our church:

St Alban's, Macclesfield: Heritage Statement
Crowley, J. (2017) St Alban's, Macclesfield: Heritage Statement

This report prepared in January by James Crowley, gives a review of the church's history, architecture, contents and significance.

Pugin's Churches
Hill, R. (2006) Pugin's Churches, Architectural History, 49, 179-205

A very interesting account of Pugin's work. Read about St Alban's on page 182.

Renaissance of a Macclesfield Organ
Rowntree, J. (1983) Renaissance of a Macclesfield Organ. Ohrmann & Nutt, 1803/1983 The Musical Times, 124, 1684, 385-387

A technical description of our church organ.

Decorative Art
Unknown (1877) Decorative Art. Macclesfield: Stations of the Cross, British Architect, 7, 7 107

A contemporary account of the Stations of the Cross in St Alban's Church.

The Hall Memorial
Unknown (1877) The Hall Memorial at Macclesfield The British Architect and Northern Engineer 1874-1919, 7, 9, 132-133

A detailed account of Dr John Hall's memorial in Macclesfield Cemetery.

At the north end of the church stands the tower. On Pugin's original drawings the tower is thirty-two feet higher than it is at present. The adjacent pinnacle over the stair tower would have added a further twenty-eight feet to the overall height.

Several reasons have been suggested for the non-completion of the tower; some believe it is to do with the foundations whereas others point to a lack of funding to complete the tower. One likely explanation is the choice of the builder. Pugin normally worked with George Myers, a builder experienced at working from his drawings and well used to interpreting the plans and remedying omissions. However, Fr Hall chose the builder William Smith to carry out the project by virtue of his winning tender. Smith followed Pugin's plans faithfully but some of the interior alignment and possibly the foundations, were not as fully engineered as they might have been.

The upper part of the tower was decorated with statues of St Thomas of Canterbury and St Winefride. These were the work of Richard Hassell, a student of Macclesfield School of Art, who was also responsible for the exterior statues of St Catherine on the east end of the north east corner, looking towards the presbytery, and of St John the Evangelist at the north west corner, looking towards Langford Street. The shield, held by the carved angel below St John, carries the coat of arms of John Talbot 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, who was the principle contributor to the church's building fund. The Virgin and Child on the west porch are also Hassell's work. The two weathered heads at either side of the west porch doorway are unidentified. The memorial headstone at ground level below the statue of St John is that of Thomas Salt who was a Sexton of St Alban's.

The uncompleted tower became the source of jibes school children directed towards their Catholic contempories:

"Have you seen old Dr Hall?
Have you seen his people?
Have you seen his Catholic church,
that stands without a steeple?"

Whilst Fr William Walton was parish priest (1858-1862), plans were drawn up to complete the tower but these were never carried out. It was not until 1914 that a further attempt was made, this time by Fr Patrick Cleary who wanted to complete the tower and, at the same time, strengthen its foundations. Tenders were received from several firms, five of them local. One suggestion seems to have involved a reduction of the thickness of the walls of the tower extension but this was thought to be undesirable. The walls were only two feet six inches thick to begin with, having through-stones every four feet nine inches in height. In addition, the brick inner lining meant the walls were not of uniform thickness. Decreasing the wall thickness by half a brick would have meant a saving of only fifty pounds. Eventually the new plans to complete the tower were abandoned and the £2,300 collected was spent instead on making the foundations safe.

Details taken from "St Alban's Macclesfield" (2012) by M.J. Ullman

St Alban's today is a thriving parish family. We aim to be a loving Catholic community in Macclesfield, assisted by prayer and the sacraments, proclaiming God's word, serving all in need.

As a parish, we are proud of our church building with its Pugin heritage, and of the faith and fellowship of the community of St Alban's who worship within, striving to honour, uphold and renew the faith of our fathers.

Throughout the 21st Century, work has continued to protect and restore our beautiful church building. By 2000, St Alban's Church had been recognised as a listed building. Preservation of the building's fabric has seen several listed-building restoration projects. These have included:

In 2003, Hirst Conservation were engaged to restore and conserve the original Pugin wall decoration in the chancel. Fragments of the original decoration were exposed high on the west chancel wall and decoration consisting of a repeated stenciled pattern in blue, white, ochre, red and gold containing the sacred monogram "I.H.S", rosettes and fleur-de-lis, were revealed. Crumbling stone work around the windows was replaced and the wooden floor of the nave was restored.

In 2008, new light fittings, in the style of Pugin, were hung. The following year, a major rebuilding of the presbytery was undertaken

In 2014, the 'Narthex' Project opened up the church entrance to create a brighter, more welcoming space for everyone coming into church.

In 2018, the Heritage Project was launched to further preserve our beautiful building. Details of the Project can be found on this website.

Details taken from "St Alban's Macclesfield" (2012) by M.J. Ullman