St Anne’s Church Haughton, Denton
Foundation Stone Laid: 01.09.1880
Consecrated: 29.07.1882
Architect and Patron: the two men who created our church building, school and rectory.
St Annes, near the border of Denton with Hyde, is unusual in many ways: Our parish once included part of Hyde in Cheshire across the River Tame. Really the town was Haughton, and this eventuallly became part of Denton Urban District Council.
The architect Medland Taylor defied Victorian architectural ideas by creating a meld of styles harking back to the medieval church with also Elizabethan chimneys and a Scandinavian style roof design. We also have an outdoor pulpit, plus inside church side squints and sedilia.
Our patron Joseph Sidebotham, a rich local mill owner and philanthropist, chose Medland for these qualities. Joseph added his own ideas and designs and creations:
His mother and wife were both Anne and so the name was given and her flower the marguerite daisy is in every form of decoration in our church. Joseph was a botanist and so all the stained glass and other forms of decoration are filled with beautiful plants, often referring to the Bible. Joseph lavished money on this church and rectory, employing the finest craftsmen and using the best materials. The mosaic tiles and panels are by both Salviati & Co of Venice and also Ludwig Oppenheimer. The stained glass is by Heaton, Butler & Baines of London.
Joseph knew of John Ruskin and also William Morris & the Arts & Crafts Movement. Our church reflects this beautiful hand-crafted style in many different forms.
His belief in the Oxford Movement determined the High Church ethos of St Anne’s. Joseph was also a pioneering photographer and we have a complete record of the building of both church and rectory.
Our Grade 1 Status was awarded for the fine quality of materials, craftsmenship and design, plus the ingenious and individual ideas created by Joseph and his architect Medland. These are also reflected in the style of the Rectory, which is Listed Grade II*.
St Anne’s Church has been strangely enhanced by the opening of the M67. The area around it was cleared and approaching up the hill from Hyde the roof lines appear from far off and have an air of fantasy and romance. Snow gives the building’s many roof lines another beautiful outline in winter.