Saint Luke’s Church in Endon is known locally as ‘the little gem on the hill’. Set in the Staffordshire Moorlands, its situation, above the valley commands panoramic views. A genuine place of beauty and tranquillity.
St. Luke’s Church is a Grade II listed building dating from 1730. In 1876, the Chancel was extended and the South aisle was added, separated from the Nave by arches supported on round pillars. The North aisle was added in 1898 corresponding with the architecture of the, then new, South aisle. More recent extensions to the Vestry and the addition of a Chapter house meeting room to the North-West of the church makes St. Luke’s, architecturally, what it is today.
It is frequently visited by local historians researching the area. Amongst the many stained glass windows, two are of special cultural significance. Firstly is the magnificent East window by the artist Burne-Jones. The entry in Chamber’s Biographical Dictionary describes Burne-Jones as a ‘friend of William Morris and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. In 1861, he became a founder member of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Company (later Morris and Company) for which he designed tapestries and stained glass.’
Secondly, and of further interest to biographers and historians is the stained glass window given as a memorial to the poet and philosopher T. E. Hulme. Born in Endon in 1883, Hulme was killed in action during the First World War in 1917.
St. Luke’s is the home to a range of silk altar frontals. These were embroidered for the church by Leek Embroidery Society, renowned for their copy of the Bayeaux Tapestry. These are of interest due to the importance of Leek’s textile industry, now largely gone.
St. Luke’s attracts many visitors from across the world, especially at the annual Well Dressing weekend. The church continues to be at the centre of this and other traditions in the parish.