St Matthew’s, Stretford

St Matthew’s is an active Anglican church on the A56, Chester Road, in StretfordOne of the four major urban areas in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester., Greater Manchester; it is in the deanery of Manchester South and Stretford, in the Diocese of Manchester.^[1]

The church was built on a site donated by Sir Thomas de Trafford.^[2] Designed by W. Hayley and completed in 1842, it was enlarged in 1869, 1906 – when the chancelPart of a church containing the altar, used by the officiating clergy. was added – and 1922.^[3] It cost £2,700 to build, equivalent to about £337,000.00 as at 2021,^[a]Calculated using the GDP deflator.^[4] £300 of which was donated by the Church Commissioners.^[5]

Architecture

Built in the Gothic Revival style, St Matthew’s is constructed of brick with ashlarMasonry of squared and finely cut or worked stone, commonly used for the facing of a building. dressings, and has a slate roof.^[3] The architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner comments that it has “the usual lancetsTall, narrow window typically associated with the Gothic architectural style. and thin buttresses”. The church’s crenellated parapet does not extend to the east side, which has a gable with a clock.^[5]

Interior

The galleries are supported on cast-iron quatrefoil columns,with the ceiling supported on shallow arched Gothic bracesStructural framework of timbers designed to bridge the space above a room and to provide support for a roof. .^[3] The carved timber fittings, including the pews, stalls and pulpit, date from the 1860s. The stained-glass window on the east side is by William WailesEnglish 19th-century stained-glass artist, one of the most accomplished of his generation..^[5]