St Thomas' Church, Stockport

St Thomas' is a Greek Revival building,.[6] constructed in ashlar[2] Runcorn sandstone.[8] It is rectangular in plan, six bays long,[2] with a clock tower attached at the west end and a massive portico at the east, its pediment supported by six Ionic columns. When the church was begun, the portico provided a frontage onto what was then the main road. A recessed central entrance beneath the portico gives entrance to the galleries, while flanking doors lead to the vestries.[6]

Toward the top of the tower are bell openings with pediments, above which is a stage containing a clock face on each side and ball finials at the corners. The tower is surmounted by an open cupola carried on eight plain columns.[4] Basevi was unhappy with the modifications to the designs of the towers at Stockport and at St Mary's in Greenwich imposed by the Commissioners, and these were the only two churches he designed for them [9] The north and south sides of the church have two tiers of windows, the upper ones with round-arched heads, and the lower ones segmental heads.[4]

The church has galleries on three sides. They are carried on square columns, which are continued up to the ceiling in the form of fluted Corinthian columns.[4] The chancel, remodelled in 1890[6] is raised, and surrounded on three sides by a balustrade.[4] A semi-circular pulpit extends from the front of the balustrade on the north side; its lower part is in stone, and the upper in ironwork. In the corresponding position on the south side is a brass eagle lectern.[10] The marble reredos behind the high altar is carved with a depiction of the Annunciation. Above this is a copy of part of Raphael's painting Transfiguration of Jesus.[11] In the south aisle is St John's Altar, which was moved from the mission church of St John when it closed in 1941.[12] The east end of the north aisle is used as the Lady Chapel.[13] The baptistry contains an octagonal font, and is floored with a mosaic depicting fishes.[14] The stained glass dates from the late 19th century, and depicts scenes from the life of Jesus.[15]

The three-manual organ was made in 1834 by Samuel Renn. Its choir division was added in 1868 by Jardine, and the organ was cleaned and overhauled in 1890 by Alex Young.[16]