Our Story

St Elisabeth's has occupied a place at the heart of the Reddish community since it was consecrated in 1883.

The church was commissioned by William Houldsworth, a devout Christian, was ahead of his time in wanting to create a community which provided for the social, educational and spiritual needs of his employees and their families. He therefore commissioned the renowned architect Alfred Waterhouse to build the Working Men's Club, St Elisabeth's School and the Rectory in addition to St Elisabeth's Church.

St Elisabeth's, named after Houldsworth's wife, is one of the finest churches that Waterhouse built. The magnificent and exotic interior displays the talents of the finest craftsmen and artists of the time. The glass in the apse is by Kemp, and the windows in the clerestory by the Manchester Pre-Raphelite, Frederick Shields. The carving is by Earp, the tower bells by Taylor of Loughborough and the organ by William Hill of London. The granite columns of the nave were brought to Reddish by narrowboat, and transported from the canal wharf at the mill by carts drawn by elephants borrowed from a local zoo.

Today, St Elisabeth's Church is a Grade One listed building which still occupies a central place in the community. We recognise the responsibility to look after this heritage, and we rejoice that it is a place which still inspires the worship and love of God. This building is not a museum, but the home of a living, thriving community whose call is to witness to our faith by loving and serving the people of Reddish and beyond.

William Houldsworth, the son of Henry Houldsworth and Helen Hamilton, was born in 1834. In the 1860's Houldsworth built his cotton mill on a "green-field" site here in Reddish. The mill still stands, recently restored and redeveloped as housing, college, and office accommodation. At the time of its building, this was largest cotton-spinning mill in the world. That Sir William was a social pioneer is proved by his far-sighted provision of good-quality housing in Reddish for his workers. This reflected the ideas of Robert Owen and Houldsworth's contemporary, the Yorkshireman, Sir Titus Salt. Chairman of the Fine Cotton Spinners' Association, Houldsworth was elected as Conservative MP for North West Manchester in 1883. Sir William was a committed Christian and a noted philanthropist. He was also a gifted organist and commissioned William Hill of London to provide instruments, not only for St Elisabeth's, but also for other churches, including Manchester Cathedral. Houldsworth, who was Britain's delegate at the European Monetary Conference in Brussels in 1892, retired from the House of Commons at the 1906 General Election. He died on 18th April 1917.