Albert Memorial Church Schools. Lamb Lane, Collyhurst

THE ALBERT MEMORIAL SCHOOLS COLLYHURST - The foundation stone of these schools was laid on Saturday afternoon by Mr Robert Gladstone in the presence of the scholars of the temporary schools and a large number of the inhabitants of the district. The site is in Lamb-lane and is the gift of Sir Oswald Mosley Bart. It has a frontage to the road and contains an area of 3,500 square yards of which the school buildings will occupy 500 square yards. On the other portion it is intended to erect a church for the accommodation of the inhabitants of this densely populated district. The schools will consist of the main or principal portion lying on the southerly part of the site with one wing to Lamb-lane. The main building will contain, on the ground floor, boys schoolroom and classroom 22 feet by 19 feet 6 inches; and on the first floor, girls' school room and classroom, each schoolroom being 46 feet by 30 feet. The wing to Lamb-lane will form the infants' school, 48 feet by 20 feet, 22 feet 9 inches high to the ridge, and classroom 15 feet 6 inches by 15 feet. Suitable lavatories will be attached to each school. The building will be in the Gothic style of architecture. The front to Lamb-lane will be the principal one, and will consist of the entrance to the girls' and infants' schools, communicating with a spacious staircase, above which will rise a high-pitched roof, covered with dark and green slates, and crested with ornamental metalwork. The east elevation will have single windows on the ground floor, and small coupled ones to the upper floor, surmounted with an ornamental belfry, having a stone with the inscription "Albert Memorial Schools" The fronts are to be seconds brickwork, relieved with bands of blue Staffordshire bricks to the strings and heads of windows. All the roof will be open, and the timber stained and varnished. Ventilation will be secured by means of flues in the walls and apertures in the roofs and gables. All the rooms have open fireplaces. The schools will accommodate 195 boys, 205 girls and 148 infants; total 548 children. Spacious playgrounds for each will be provided, the site containing 1425 square yards. The architect is Mr John Lowe, 1, Chapel Walks, Manchester. The buildings are being erected by Messrs Clark and Jones, builders, Manchester for the sum of £2,000, and will be completed by Christmas. [Manchester Courier 30 August 1862 Page 5 Column 5].

Reference    Manchester Courier 30 August 1862 Page 5 Column 5
Reference    Builder 30 August 1862 Page 628
Reference    Builder 13 September 1862 Page 661