Story of St Anne's

St Anne’s Church is the daughter church of St Bartholomews in the Parish of Wilmslow and is situated in the area of Fulshaw, on the south side of Wilmslow. We are a small friendly congregation with strong community links.

St Anne’s Church was built in 1876 as a school on weekdays and for worship on a Sunday.

It was called Fulshaw Memorial Church & School. As the school grew it became increasingly difficult to continue dual use and after 14 years the school opposite was built. It was opened on 8th December 1890 and then the re-ordering of the original building to sole use as the Church it is today. Kelly’s Directory of 1902 states the Memorial Mission Church was erected by George Fox at a cost of £2,200. It also says it is an edifice of brick in the Gothic style consisting of chancel, nave, transept, vestry and organ chamber.

Before this the only school in Wilmslow was on Chancel Lane on the site of the current Parish Hall at the Carrs. The village had grown towards the south and west and it was felt the school location at Chancel Lane was a disadvantage to the attendance of younger children and so the Rector Rev Emery Bates solicited Mr George Fox of Harefield to build the Fulshaw Memorial School and Church. This he did in memory of his wife Annie who had died 3 years earlier. She was the great granddaughter of William Cobbett who wrote “Rural Riches” describing his work as a magistrate and Member of Parliament.

Growth of the church

As numbers rose to 192 children by 1883, it was obvious that the Church building was not big enough. George Fox agreed to extend the original scheme in the building of the school across from the Church on Nursery Lane. Fundraising then saw the building restored and converted to the Church it is today. A pulpit, organ, pews and litany stool were installed, new hymn books and cassocks for the Choir and extensive redecoration. A retable was made of dark oak from some of the old timber taken from St Bartholomew’s Church belfry when the bells were rehung two years earlier. The carved oak screen was installed in 1894 with more fundraising by the congregation.