Church of St Barnabas Frederick Road Pendleton

Last Friday this new church was consecrated by Dr Moorhouse, Bishop of Manchester. In the construction brick and terra cotta have been used, with stone only where absolutely necessary. The church is of simple detail, but substantial throughout, and the contract has been awarded to Messrs William Southern & Sons. The cost incurred is under £3,500 and the accommodation provides for 516 sittings. [British Architect 5 August 1887 Page 113]

This church, which has been built in a populous district will accommodate 516 worshippers and the cost is not expected to exceed the contract price of £3,435. The elevations we published last week represent the church as originally intended by the architect. Some slight reductions have been made here and there to keep down the expenditure to £3,435 in the actual work as executed. It is to be regretted that almost all carving and nearly all embellishments have been left en bloc to the future. Messrs W Southern and Sons were the general contractors. The terra cotta was supplied by Mr J C Edwards of Ruabon; the gas fittings by Messrs Thomasson and Company; the downspouts, guttering etc by Messrs MacFarlane and Company of Glasgow; the wood block flooring by Mr Roger Lowe of Farnworth, near Bolton; and the lightning conductor by Messrs Sanders Ruddle and Company of Manchester. [British Architect 7 October 1887 Page 264]

ST BARNABAS’S CHURCH, PENDLETON – This church, which has been erected in Irwell Road, Strawberry Hill, Pendleton, at a cost of £3,435 was consecrated yesterday. The land on which the church stands, together with a site for the parsonage, the whole comprising 2,228 squared yards, was given by Mr Herbert Birley. The cost of the erection of the new edifice has been met by voluntary subscriptions, and the district over which its clergy are to exercise spiritual jurisdiction originally formed part of the parish of St George’s, Charlestown, the total population of which was 11,650. The new district covers an area in which about 4,000 persons reside, and the church which has been provided for them contains 516 sittings, the whole of which are free and unappropriated. An iron church had previously been put up in the neighbourhood, but although it was enlarged, it failed to meet the increasing requirements of the growing population of that part of the borough of Salford. The building, which was consecrated yesterday, has been erected from the plans of Mr W K Booth, architect, of Manchester, and is after an early type of Gothic, as it was adopted in this country. No attempt has been made to secure external effect, nor in the interior has much artistic skill been wasted, for the most noticeable features of the church are its airy appearance and excellent light secured in every part of it. [Manchester Guardian 30 July 1887 page 10]

MANCHESTER—St. Barnabas Church, Pendleton, was consecrated last week by Dr. Moorhouse, Bishop of Manchester. In the construction brick and terra-cotta have been used with stone only where absolutely necessary. The church is of simple detail, but substantial throughout. The contract has been carried out by Messrs. W. Southern & Sons from the designs and under the superintendence of Mr. W. H. Booth of Manchester. The cost has been under £3,500, and the accommodation provides 516 sittings. [Builder 6 August 1887 page 218]

St Barnabas was an Ecclesiastical Parish in the county of Lancashire, created in 1888 and abolished in 1973. The church of St Barnabas Pendleton was declared redundant on 20 July 1973 and subsequently demolished.

Reference    British Architect 25 December 1885 Page  - Plan and view
Reference    British Architect 5 August 1887 Page 113
Reference    British Architect 30 September 1887 Page 246 - Elevations - illustration
Reference    British Architect 7 October 1887 Page 264 and details of carving
Reference    British Architect 14 October 1887 Page 282 - Reredos details
Reference    British Architect 21 October 1887 Page 282 - Arcading details
Reference    Manchester Guardian 30 July 1887 page 10
Reference    The Builder 6 August 1887:page 218.
Reference    Pevsner: Lancashire: South