Pilgrimmage a highlight of 800th anniversary year

Reporter: KEN BENNETT
Date published: 27 February 2015


A SPECIAL pilgrimage will be a spiritual highlight of a year-long celebration to mark the 800th anniversary of Saddleworth parish church, St Chad’s.

A series of celebratory events begins on Sunday, when the Rt Rev Dr David Walker, Bishop of Manchester, presides at Eucharist.

Colourful church banners, carried by congregations from Anglican churches across Saddleworth, will be at St Chad’s for the service - the first time the group of Saddleworth Anglican churches has held a joint service on a Sunday.

When St Chad’s was built, on the hillside in Uppermill it was the only church in Saddleworth.

St Chad was a leading Celtic Christian, who became Bishop of Mercia and chose Lichfield, Staffordshire as his Episcopal base. He died there in 672AD.

As Saddleworth’s villages grew, St Chad’s was joined by other Anglican churches at Heights (1767), Dobcross (1787), Lydgate (1788), Friezland (1850), Denshaw (1863), Greenfield (1875), Delph (1884) and Scouthead (1889).

Plans are now underway to run a pilgrimage from Saddleworth to Lichfield over several dates in spring and summer. The stages have been planned to accommodate all ages. The leg is from Uppermill to Ashton on March 28 from St Chad’s Church (10am).

Two lasting memorials are planned for the church’s landmark year: a book, “The New History of Saddleworth Church”, and a 30in high Celtic Cross, which will be placed on the north wall of the church

Other events through the year include a concert, a family fun day and special services.