Holy Trinity, Gee Cross

Holy Trinity opened in 1874 as a chapel to Hyde: St. George. In 1880 it became the district church for parts of the townships of Hyde and Werneth (previously served by Werneth: St. Paul, Hyde: St. George, and Hyde: St. Thomas). For a detailed description of the boundaries see the Genuki website.

The erection of a tower as a memorial to Queen Victoria was first seriously discussed in 1901. It was not an effort solely confined to Holy Trinity. The building committee was an inter-denominational one, the memorial being that of the village of Gee Cross. A building committee was formed and it was decided to erect a tower capable of safely housing both a clock and a peal of bells. The work was undertaken by Messrs. Armitage of Gee Cross, following the grant of a faculty in 1901. The memorial stones were laid on July 18th 1903, the tower being built on the site of the former baptistry. The tower was finally completed in 1904 and consecrated by the then Bishop of Chester, Bishop Jayne on April 23rd in that year.

The clock in the tower was provided by Mrs. Brown, the widow of the late Canon Brown in memory of her husband. This was dedicated on 31st December 1904 by Canon Maitland Wood, afterwards being set in motion by Mrs. T.G. Williams, wife of the Vicar. The clock itself was manufactured by William Potts & Sons of Leeds and is designed on similar lines to those installed by the same maker in the cathedrals of Lincoln, Carlisle, Ripon, Chelmsford, Bradford and Armagh. It now seems to be stuck at 12 o'clock.

See the Hyde, Cheshire blog for more information on the history of the church and images of the original structure.

A contribution to Inspired Sundays.