LOVING GOD & LOVING OTHERS

Imagine back to the 1700s the closest church in the area was St. Mary’s in Bowdon. The congregation had to hike across the fields from Broadheath, and back again, each Sunday. As the small community began to grow, a second church, St. George’s was built, in 1799. This still meant the folk in Broadheath had almost two miles to walk each Sunday. In 1853, when the railway station opened. It was decided to set up a mission in Broadheath. But instead of a usual church building, services were held on a black and white canal boat, located where the Bridgewater Canal passes under Manchester Road. Later, in 1871 as industry boomed in the area, a school was built on Sinderland Road. Services were moved from the canal boat, to the school. Around twenty years later in 1891, a chancel was added and the name St. Alban’s Church School, was given to the building.

It wasn’t until 1899, that work on the current building began. It was designed by architects Austin and Paley, of Lancaster. Services would once again move, for the final time to the new church building – St. Alban’s Church, Broadheath. The church was officially opened on the 8th of November 1900, although the west end was incomplete and a temporary wall had been built. It wouldn’t be until the year 2000, almost 100 years later, that work would start again, to extend the church to its planned size. Later in 1902, the vestry and bell tower were added to the church. In January 1911, the church formed its own parish, the parish of St. Albans.