Worsley - Religious Sites

Religious Sites

The first church in Worsley was built in 1209 by the Worsley family, at Ellenbrook. Methodism was first practised in the area in 1784, by the notable preacher Matthew Mayer. Later services were held in various locations around the area, and in 1801 a Methodist chapel was built along Barton Road. The foundation stone for St Mark's Church was laid on 14 June 1844 by George Granville Francis Egerton, the son of Francis Egerton. Designed by the architect George Gilbert Scott, the church was consecrated on 2 July 1846 by the Bishop of Chester, John Bird Sumner. The church tower is now home to the mechanism for the Bridgewater Clock, which was once in the area now known as Worsley Green. The clock strikes 13 times at 1 pm, originally so that workmen did not miss the end of their dinner break. Many of the gravestones in the church grounds were cut from rock sourced at Worsley Delph. Following a proposed hotel development in 1981 the area around the church and vicarage was designated a Conservation Area.