Description

MANCHESTER

SJ8490 STENNER LANE, Didsbury
698-1/25/648 (South side)
25/02/52 Church of St James

GV II*

Parish church. Rebuilt in early C17, further rebuilt and
enlarged at various dates in mid to later C19: tower of 1620,
nave 1855, chancel 1871, east half of south aisle 1895. Red
sandstone, slate roofs. West tower, nave and aisles in one
(nave now incorporating former chancel), chancel, parallel
south "transept" and vestry. The 2-stage tower, with diagonal
buttresses, has a moulded plinth, C19 Perpendicular west
doorway with 4-light window above, a drip-band, small
2-centred arched belfry windows of 2 arched lights with stone
louvres, moulded cornice, and parapet of large open-work hoops
with crocketed corner pinnacles; and on its north side a
moulded 2-centred arched doorway, and just below the drip-band
some panels with crudely-formed raised lettering:
SR EM:K : FOVN EM: ESQ: SR GBK
A.MWID : DERS PATRON : BARONET
The north aisle, which is divided into 2 portions by a
buttress terminating in a crocketed pinnacle, has 2 large C19
segmental-pointed windows and a rounded arched window in the
western portion, all with hoodmoulds which have figured stops,
2 large square-headed transomed windows in the eastern
portion, and a continuous parapet. The south aisle has an
unusual south vestry near the west end, square in plan, with a
side-wall chimney, and an embattled parapet with corner
pinnacles both heavily decorated with carved heads and masks;
to the right of this, two 3-light windows, then the parallel
south "transept" and vestry, 2+2 bays, with buttresses,
transomed windows to the former (like those on the north
side), Perpendicular windows to the latter, and continuous
parapet with tall crocketed pinnacles. The chancel has a large
transomed 10-light east window and 2 windows on the north
side, all in Perpendicular style. Interior: unusual a-stylar
4-bay arcades of tall cylindrical columns with moulded annular
caps carrying plain semicircular arches; former chancel arch
with Puritan angels at the springing, and beyond this 2-bay
arcades of 2-centred arches; chancel arch moulded in 2 orders,
with shafts; late C19 pulpit of white marble and alabaster
under earlier wooden sounding board; good early C17 wall
monument in transept, commemorating Roland Mosley (d.1616),
son of Nicholas Mosley, in Renaissance style, composed of a
3-bay Ionic colonnade surmounted by a central Corinthian
architrave with cresting, with kneeling figures in each part;
and various wall tablets .

Listing NGR: SJ8469190378

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St James, Didsbury at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5117428

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)