St. George’s Church is a valued historic building in our parish, now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. Our church holds an annual service in the building and we are responsible for the upkeep of the churchyard. The chapel of St. George was built to serve both Carrington and the then smaller village Partington. Alongside the church is the former vicarage and church school, now a business centre.
The church was built by Isaac Shaw for Mary, Countess of Warrington and Stamford, daughter of the second Earl of Warrington. The land had been in the family since Elizabeth’s reign, when a female heir brought it on her marriage to Sir George Booth of Dunham Massey, from whom it descended to the earls of Stamford and Warrington. It was consecrated a ‘chapel of ease’ to Bowdon in 1759. In 1848 there were a reported 559 inhabitants of the parish, and it was created as a separate parish in 1887.
The church is a typical Georgian Chapel, built of brick with a stone slate roof. Its windows are mostly plain glazed enhancing the light and space. An upper gallery supported by two iron piers was added in 1829 to cater for a growing congregation. At one time there was a turret with a cupola containing a single bell inscribed “Given by the Earl of Stamford to Carrington 1760”. The cupola was removed in 1981.
The interior has changed little with remaining fine wooden box pews, communion rail, high table and oak raised pulpit. The organ was installed around 1900. The white marble font is original complete with wooden cover.
The churchyard contains many monuments and two commonwealth war graves, of Private T.A. Barlow of The King's Liverpool Regiment (d. 22/10/1918) and Private A. Holt of Royal Marine Light Infantry (d. 30/03/1919).
These aspects and many more can be viewed by visiting this historic church. The keys to the church can be borrowed during weekday working hours from the office of Gallaway Construction Ltd. based in the adjacent Old School House, Manchester Road, Carrington, M31 4UG. Click here for a map.
Photo credits: David Dixon (church), Carl Rogerson (inside), Tom Jeffs (graveyard).