St Stephen's Church, Astley

St Stephen's Church, Astley
The third St Stephen's Church
53°30′04″N 2°27′22″W / 53.501°N 2.456°W / 53.501; -2.456Coordinates: 53°30′04″N 2°27′22″W / 53.501°N 2.456°W / 53.501; -2.456
Location	Astley, Greater Manchester.
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Stephen - Astley
History
Founded	1631 (1631)
Consecrated	1968
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Specifications
Materials	Brick

St Stephen's Church is a parish church in Astley, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican church built in 1968 and part of Leigh deanery in the archdeaconry of Salford and diocese of Manchester. The church, together with St George's Church, Tyldesley and St John's Church, Mosley Common is part of the united benefice of Astley, Tyldesley and Mosley Common. Its origins are in Astley Chapel, a chapel of ease of Leigh Parish Church built in 1631 and its successor which was burned in an arson attack in 1961.

The first chapel, built and paid for by Adam Mort the wealthy owner of Damhouse who died in early 1631, was consecrated on 3 August in the same year by the Bishop of Chester. It was the first chapel of ease of the mother church of Leigh, and dedicated to St Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The chapel was built of local brick on part of the common. The Reverend Thomas Crompton, appointed by Thomas Mort, was the first minister in 1632.

The chapel stood for nearly 130 years until it was rebuilt after becoming dilapidated. The second, slightly larger chapel was built on the same site in 1760. Thomas Froggatt of Damhouse gave a contribution towards the cost of reconstruction. It was built of handmade brick and measured 54 ft 6 in (16.61 m) in length and 36 ft (11 m) in width. It could hold 170 people andhad a nave with four side and two end windows, and a small chancel and had an embattled western tower containing a single bell. The chapel was enlarged in 1834, 1842, and 1847.