St Anne’s, Denton

The Church of St Anne is an active Anglican church in Denton, Greater Manchester. It is in the deanery of Oldham and Ashton in the Diocese of Manchester, and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.^[1][2] The lych gate
Roofed-over gateway into a churchyard. and part of the cemetery wall have been separately listed as Grade II structures.^[3]

Designed by J. Medland and H. Taylor,^[a]James Medland Taylor (1834–1909) was the elder brother of Henry Medland Taylor. construction of the church began in 1880 and was completed two years later.^[2] The work was paid for by E. Joseph Sidebotham, a member of the Sidebotham mill-owning family of Hyde.^[4]

Architecture

St Anne’s was built in the Gothic Revival style, and is constructed of brick with a clay tile roof,^[2] although it also utilises some timber framing.^[4] It is built to a cruciform plan with a crossing tower, an undercroft beneath the chancelPart of a church containing the altar, used by the officiating clergy., transeptsPart of a Christian church crossing the area between the nave and the chancel, forming a characteristic cruciform shape., and a three-bay naveCentral part of a church, used by the laiety..^[2]

Interior

The interior is faced in polychromatic brick, to “great effect”, and the roof is supported by arch-braced trussesStructural framework of timbers designed to bridge the space above a room and to provide support for a roof. springing from carved stone corbelsStructural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent load.. It has been described as “one of the Taylors’ most imaginative works showing individuality and opulence in most aspects of design and craftsmanship”.^[2]/p>