Description of Church

Nikolaus Pevsner (The Buildings of England - South Lancashire) in 1969 described St. Mary’s as “a building of considerable character”, as follows;
"The short aisle less nave, tall transepts, chancel and octagonal crossing tower with paired lancet windows and a pyramid roof, other windows have plate tracery.  The chancel east end has a high reredos, and consequently the five east windows are arranged so that the outer two are placed much lower that the stepped inner three.  The capitals of the crossing have deliberately simplified Early English caps.  The string-course all around has no other purpose than to hide a pipe.  Goodhard-Rendel calls it a 'filthy sham' "

The interior is lofty and one’s eye is drawn immediately to the altar and the canopied reredos.  Above them is the east window which is split into five lights dated 1901 and made by Bennett of Old Trafford, depicting Our Lord as the light of the world, archangel Gabriel, the sower and the reaper. 
During the incumbency of the Revd. T.D. Harland there were other additions to the church building: the organ in 1895 which cost £271 and is a Wadsworth two manual, electrified in 1939; tubular bells hung in 1899 by Harrington of Coventry at a cost of £150.  These, along with the east window and the reredos, were all summed up in faculty of 1915.

The congregation subscribed to the south window depicting the parable of the talents in 1921 to the memory of Revd. T.D. Harland. 
There is another window in the south wall depicting Christ as the good shepherd which was subscribed in  memory of Revd. E. Wolfe in 1934. 
The West window was given in 1926 and depicts scenes of Our Lord’s Ministry.  The North wall contains one window of Healing.

During the incumbency of the Revd. E. Wolfe there were improvements made to the church including redecoration and installation of electric light in 1925, marble paving in the sanctuary, chancel steps and gates to the altar rails (these latter were publicly subscribed to the memory of Mrs. Harland).
The font has been replaced and re-sited several times and is now adjacent to the pulpit at the chancel arch. 
The eagle lectern was donated in 1890 by the first incumbent’s uncle, the Revd. T. Dugdale.

Outside the church the granite celtic cross was erected in 1922 as a war memorial of the first world war and the garden of remembrance was landscaped and dedicated in 1960 in memory of Thomas A. Farrell.

During the incumbency of the Revd. J. Lowrey there were complaints about the lack of warmth in the church and this led to the installation of a new boiler.  He also had plans for a church hall and a daughter church.  The funds for the former were not forthcoming and instead the choir vestry was erected in 1952 as a war memorial to the second world war.  The vestry cost £3,200.

In the 1960’s the parish boundaries were re-organised.  A resolution was drawn up to change the boundaries between St. Catherine’s, Barton-upon-Irwell and St. Mary’s.  Part of the parish of St. Mary’s was actually transferred to All Saints, Stretford in August 1967.  The M63 (now M60) then became the boundary of St. Mary’s.  Also in 1967 there were changes to the boundaries with St. John’s, Flixton and Christ Church, Davyhulme.

In October 1985, Mrs. Heather Sinclair, the vicar’s wife, launched a scheme for replacing the old church kneelers by inviting people to make 300 cross-stitch tapestry kneelers in a variety of designs.  A small profit from each kneeler was for the church hall fund and there was an enthusiastic response.  In addition to the designs available, Miss Madge Harvey designed a kneeler intended to celebrate St. Mary’s centenary in 1990.  Some people made several kneelers, on their own behalf or for others who wished to donate kneelers but were unable to make them.
The scheme was completed in 1988, resulting in a very colourful addition to the church furnishings and a sum of £1,000 for the church hall fund.

There are other points of interest outside.  The exterior of the east wall contains the foundation and consecration stone of 1890.  A stone slab of local historical interest is to be found in the church garden, between the porch and the north transept, which formed the doorstep of Davyhulme Hall.  When the hall was demolished the doorstep was conveyed to St. Mary’s church and placed in front of the porch where it remained until the new paths were laid in 1959.

In 1973 the outside of the church building was cleaned.  The Department of the Environment, in 1972, was prepared to make grants through local authorities towards the cleaning of the outside fabric of public buildings. Urmston U.D.C. initially refused a grant for St. Mary’s.  This resulted in letters to local councillors and correspondence in the local press.  Eventually Urmston U.D.C. agreed to make a grant and the cleaning was done.

                          The Architect - George Trufitt F.R.I.B.A                        

George Truefitt (1826-1902) is described by the ‘Building News’ of August 1902 of being Mancunian born but who made his name in London.  He was an articled pupil at the age of 15 for five years to the elder Cottingham, an eminent Victorian architect.  As a student, he made a walking tour of France and Germany taking almost 500 sketches which inspired him to plan unusual buildings all his professional life.
These include 10 churches, 8 vicarages and rectories, 7 schools, 13 banks, 7 church halls, 170 mansions, 44 cottages and lodges and 20 other various buildings including Altrincham market hall and the lych-gate of St. Clement’s, Chorlton. 

 He won the competition for St. Mary the Virgin, Davyhulme in 1887 but work was delayed for a year whilst he completed Aboyne Castle for the Marquis of Huntly.  Building work on the Church was commenced in 1889 and Mrs. Moorhouse, the wife of the Bishop of Manchester, laid the foundation stone on 13th July.  The Church was finished the following year at a cost of £4,000 (an overspend of £400) and the Bishop was able to dedicate and consecrate it on June 23rd 1890 which he said it was of a ‘of a novel construction’. 
The Church is built in ashlar and Cheshire sandstone which is complemented by the simulated stone of the Church Hall and both buildings are roofed in brown Redland tiles.

For further information on the Architect - George Truefitt.F.R.I.B.A go to his website