St John the Baptist's Church, Smallbridge

St John's was built in 1834 to a design by Lewis Vulliamy.[5] A grant of £3,253 (equivalent to £330,000 as of 2021)[6] was given towards its construction by the Church Building Commission.[4] The church was declared redundant in March 2008 due to a declining congregation [7]

The church is constructed in ashlar stone with a slate roof.[3] Its architectural style is Gothic Revival.[4] The plan consists of an eight-bay nave with a projection at the west end, and a single-bay chancel with a vestry. The projection at the west end contains three stepped lancet windows with a doorway under the central window. On each side is a low porch. Rising from the gable is a tall bellcote with columns at the corners and louvred bell openings on each side. Above these is a clock face on each side under a gable. On the summit of the bellcote is a finial. In the corners between the projection and the nave are pinnacles with conical roofs and cross finials, and there is a similar pinnacle at the east end. Along the sides of the church, each bay contains a lancet window. The east window has four lights. Inside the church are galleries carried on cast iron columns. Over the chancel arch is a painting of a choir of angels. The furniture is described as "fine and ornately carved timberwork of various dates", and includes pews with poppyheads, and a hooded priest's chair with a misericord.[3] The stained glass includes an 18th-century roundel by William Wailes.[5]

• List of churches in Greater Manchester
• List of Commissioners' churches in Northeast and Northwest England
• Listed buildings in Wardle, Greater Manchester