Philips Park Cemetery Philips Park Manchester

Pevsner                Typical of cemetery architecture in that they all differ from each other in composition as much as could be done.

In part the creation of the cemetery was intended to provide employment for out of work factory operatives. However, in the event it would appear that few unemployed cotton workers were left in Manchester. [Builder 21 May1864 Page 381]

THE NEW CEMETERY. The Committee for General Purposes presented the following report to the City Council: " That at the meeting of your committee held this day, the following proceedings of the Cemetery Subcommittee of the 8th Dec. were read and approved of: Mr. Paull attended and submitted working drawings and specifications of the churches, chapels, and other buildings, etc., to be erected for the purposes of and in connection with the new cemetery, in accordance with the plans approved of on the 12th of August last. Resolved : That Messrs. Paull and Ayliffe be instructed to advertise for tenders for the erection of the buildings, of which plans and specifications are now submitted, with the exception of the iron work of the gates and palisadings, and that they direct the tenders to be made out for each building separate. The contracts to be let in two parts, one containing excavators' work, masons' work, and brickwork, and the other to contain all the work to be executed by other trades. The tenders are to be addressed to the Cemetery Sub-Committee, on or before the 19th January next. Resolved: That during the three winter months the operatives sent by the guardians to work at the new cemetery be allowed 5½d. per cubic yard, instead of 4½d. as heretofore, and that the contractor, Mr. Thornton, be instructed to pay them at the advanced rate on Saturday next, and to continue the same for the above stated time three months, when the price must again be reduced to the original rate of 4½d. per cubic yard. [Manchester Courier 5 January 1865 page 4]

CORPORATION OF MANCHESTER.— TO BUILDERS.— The Cemetery Sites sub-Committee are prepared to receive TENDERS for the ERECTION of the intended BUILDINGS, at the new Cemetery, near Manchester, consisting of three separate Chapels, Offices and House for the Registrar, two Lodges, and two Entrances. Drawings, and Specifications and Conditions of Contract, may be seen at the offices of the Architects, Messrs. Paull and Ayliffe, India Buildings, 20, Cross Street. Manchester. Tenders to be delivered at the offices of the Architects, not later than 10.00am, on Monday, the 16th of January, 1866. The Tenders may be for the whole of the Works, or for the Masonry separately.  JOSEPH HERON, Town Clerk. Town Hall, Manchester, 9 December 1864. [Sheffield Independent 9 January 1865 page 1]

THE PHILIPS PARK CEMETERY. CONSECRATION OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND PORTION. The last portion of this cemetery—that to be devoted to the Church of England—is now so near completion that it was consecrated by the Bishop of Manchester on Thursday morning. The cemetery, which has been constructed by the corporation of Manchester, occupies the site on which St. Ann's Rectory formerly stood—to the north of Philips Park, from which it is separated by the river Medlock. Altogether, the corporation purchased about forty-six acres of land, stretching for more than half a mile along the banks of the Medlock. They then advertised for designs for laying out the grounds, and for chapels to be erected; and out of the forty designs submitted, those of Messrs Paull and Ayliffe, architects, of Manchester, for the chapels and other buildings, and of Mr William Gay, landscape gardener, Bradford, Yorkshire, for the engineering works and for the laying out of the grounds and approaches, were selected. The main feature of Mr Gay's plan, which has been carried out, was the fixing of the principal entrance at the north-west corner, being the nearest approach to the city, and the arterial road running from it through the centre of the ground to the eastern end. The approaches and boundary roads have reduced the area within the walls to 41 acres. Of this the western end, 19.5 acres in extent, has been appropriated to the Church of England, next 14 acres to the Dissenters, and at the eastern end 7.5 acres to the Roman Catholics. Each portion of the cemetery is made complete within itself, having its chapel and lodges, and those appropriated to the Dissenters and Roman Catholics have separate entrances, independent of the main entrance. A new road has been formed along the northern side of the ground, to where the Dissenters' and Roman Catholic portion joined, where it passes between them to the Bank Bridge print works, and being there walled on each side it makes the Roman Catholic portion an entirely separate cemetery. A footpath forms the only division between the grounds appropriated to the Church of England and Dissenters. The main roads from the city to the cemetery are Bradford Road and Hulme Hall Lane—the latter leading from Miles Platting. Bradford Road did not formerly extend as far as the cemetery. The work of connecting this road with the cemetery proved a heavy one, as, in order to get a proper level, deep cuttings had to be made. It is now completed, and being well paved, it forms one of the best approaches to a cemetery to be found in the district. Mr Gay, in carrying out his design, availed himself as far as he could of the natural features of the landscape but it was found necessary to fill up a valley in the Church of England portion, to make it useful for burial purposes. A complete system of deep drainage has been carried out, at such a depth will perfectly drain all the graves and vaults. The walks are well designed and laid out, and number of strong, hardy plants, of a kind such as it is found will flourish there, have been put in. The plantation in the Roman Catholic portion has been completed; but, in consequence of the work not being ready at the proper season, that in the other portions has not been completed.

The buildings erected comprise three chapels, registrar's house and offices, three entrance lodges, and mason's shed and tool-houses. To the most casual observer it is evident that their positions must have been most carefully studied in the original design. Whether seen from the adjoining park or from any other point of view the grouping is good, and the views to be obtained the park and cemetery would be exceedingly effective, were it not for the large and ugly print-works on the banks of the Medlock nearly in the centre between the two.

Viewed separately, the cemetery buildings are well planned; and, with the exception of the Dissenters' chapel, leave nothing to be desired. The defect in this chapel would have been remedied had the ground on which it is built been raised some six feet as was originally intended. The committee, however, having considered the cost of the work decided that it should not be done. The principal entrance to the grounds consists of a central pier four feet square, octagonal above, ornamented with red Mansfield columns, surmounted by stone spire, crocketted at the angles, having a finial on the top, with metal cross terminal gilded, the total height being 25 feet. In the panel in front is an elaborate but not very successful piece of Venetian glass Mosaic, containing the arms of Manchester and the following inscription:— "The Corporation of Manchester, Philips Park Cemetery, Neill, Mayor, 1867." There are two pairs of wrought iron entrance gates, 14 feet wide, and stone piers to each, from which branch carved wing walls to the piers at the corner, making the total width of the entrance facing Bradford-road about 100 feet. Within the wall to the right is a lodge, and the left the registrar's house and offices. The latter a building of imposing appearance, containing board-room, dwelling-house, and offices for business, surmounted by clock tower, 10 feet square and 75 feet high, in masonry, covered with a slated roof of pyramidal form, having dormer openings for the transmission of sound from clock bell. The clock is placed in the upper stage of the tower, and in has four faces or dials, each 5 feet 9 inches in diameter. The clock was supplied and erected by Mr M'Ferran, of Victoria-street. Passing onwards we come in succession to the chapels erected for the Church of England, dissenters, and the Roman Catholics. Though all the chapels are in one style—the transitional period of Gothic architecture—each is distinct in design, yet all are in harmony, and the character of detail is well preserved throughout. The whole of the buildings are treated rather severely, no elaborate ornamentation being permitted; but through this severity of outline being preserved alike in the domestic and ecclesiastical buildings, the result is a harmony between the two classes of buildings rarely attained by architects. A leading feature in the arrangement of the episcopal and dissenters' chapels is wanting in the Roman Catholic chapel. This arose from the ritual of the Roman Catholic Church not permitting the same arrangement. In the two former one side of each chapel is partitioned off with plate glass, to serve as chambers for the reception of the dead —the coffins being placed on trestles, so that they can be seen by the congregation through the plate glass screens, during the time that the funeral service is being read. Viewed as sanitary precaution, this arrangement is very good one. In the Catholic chapel the bodies have to be placed in the nave whilst mass is said, hence the same precaution could not be adopted. Each chapel is provided with waiting rooms for females, and conveniences for both sexes. The internal clear area of the episcopal chapel is 150 superficial yards, and it will seat 120 persons; the Dissenters' chapel 120 yards, to seat 100 persons, and the Catholic chapel, 170 yards to seat 100 persons. The Church England chapel has an oblong nave 70 feet long and 20 feet wide, with a semi-octangular apsidal termination. It is placed due east and west. The height from the floor to the open ridge of the roof is 35 feet. There are spacious porches on the north and south sides opposite each other. The mortuary chapel opens from the south porch, and from the north porch a doorway leads to the waiting room. These buildings are covered with lean-to roofs, and appear as ordinary aisles to the nave. In the west gable there is four-light window, with geometrical tracery in the head. On the south side of the nave, in the usual position in churches, is the tower, 15 feet square, which is carried up 60 feet to a main cornice richly carved, above which is a belfry stage, having a window opening on each side filled in with louvre boarding. A timber and slated spire springs from the cornice of the belfry, and dormer gables, with boldly carved brackets, mount up above this cornice a considerable height and are thrown out clearly into relief against the dark background of the slating. At each angle of the cornice is large gargoyle to carry off water. These appear as effective "spurs" to the base of the spire, and, though so high above the ground, the form and design of each can be readily discerned. The covering of the spire varied colour, green and blue slates being disposed in patterns of suitable and pleasing form from base to apex. There is a towering vane at the top and lightning conductor. In the jambs of the belfry windows, and at the angles of the belfry stage, there are shafts of red Mansfield stone, with moulded bases and bands of white stone and richly carved capitals. The total height of the tower and spire is 110 feet. The floors of this and the other buildings are laid with Staffordshire tiles.

The Dissenters’ chapel has a nave and apsidal end. The building is 55 feet long, 20 feet wide and 35 feet high from floor to ridge. It has a porch on the south side and waiting-room adjoining. The tower at the north-west angle is 14 feet square externally and is in line with the west gable front, the mortuary chamber opening from the town entrance. There is no central alley down the nave as in the Episcopal Church, the passages being next to the wall on either side, and the seats filling the body of the nave In this as in the Episcopal chapel, there is in the western gable a large four light window with geometrical tracery the head. The tower is square in form to the main cornice, 50 feet from the ground. The cornice is boldly carved. Above it is an octagonal belfry stage in ashlar stone and there are pinnacles of solid stone at each angle where, the octagon sets on the square stone spire. The total height of the spire to the top of the vane is 100 feet.  The Catholic chapel is a cruciform structure. It has transepts to the north and south of the nave, and spacious porches on the west side of each transept, facing each other: In the west gable of the nave there are two single-light windows with traceried heads, with buttress between, and circular traceried window above. There are similar windows in each transept gable. At the end of the nave is a semi-circular apse and a raised platform for the altar. The altar is of stone, simple but effective in design. The seats for the congregation are placed in the transepts and nave west of the entrances, the central part of the building being left as an open space in which the bodies can be placed whilst the funeral service is read. The tower is erected over the entrance on the north side. It is carried up square to the top of the belfry stage. There are two-light window openings on each side of this stage, with shafts and carved capitals to each, the lights being filled in with louvre boarding. The finish of the tower is not by a spire as in each the two other chapels, but by gables on the east and west sides, handsomely crocketted and surmounted by carved stone terminals and wrought iron vane. The total height of the tower is 90 feet. All the chapels are built with rubble stone, and faced with dressed wall stones in courses from Dunford Bridge. The stone dressings are finished in clean boasted work, and executed in a remarkably clear and even coloured stone from Slaithwaite, in Yorkshire, and Welsh slates have been used for the roofs. Objection might be taken to the windows of the chapels being filled with glass in squares, instead of being of the diamond shape usual in Gothic structures; but for this, we are informed, the architects are not responsible. All the chapels are supplied with Haden’s warm air apparatus. Each section of the cemetery is provided with a lodge, containing living-room, scullery, two bedrooms, and outbuildings. There are also public conveniences, with entrances from the grounds at the back of each yard. A slated turret is carried up over the staircase of the lodge at the principal entrance. At the entrances to the Dissenters and Roman Catholic grounds there are stone piers, 2 feet square, with gabled terminations and gates as the principal entrance. The boundary wall on the west and north side is of rubble stone, with coping, and cast-iron palisading, with wrought-iron standards, seven feet high in all. In the other parts the wall is faced with sneck jointed wall stones on the outside next the approach road, and coped with long and short stones, giving a rustic but exceedingly neat appearance. The wall being stepped to suit the fall of the ground a very picturesque effect is produced. In addition to the buildings already described there are the tool-house, lime shed, masons' shed, and smithy, and a yard for masons' work, which is paved with street sets, and enclosed by open wood palisading. The architects of the whole of the buildings were Messrs Paull and Ayliffe, of Manchester, and since their dissolution of partnership they have been completed by Mr Paull. Mr W. Storr, of Stalybridge, was the contractor. The road making, drainage, and earthworks have been carried out by Mr Israel Thornton, under schedule of prices; and the laying out and planting by the corporation who employed number of cotton operatives who had been thrown out of work during the cotton famine at day labour. The total cost of the cemetery, including land, buildings, engineering works, etc, is estimated at about £60,000. The Church of England portion contains 18,900 graves, the Dissenters' 12,500, and the Roman Catholic 7,000 graves. The size of the grave spaces is much larger than is usual in this district. No catacombs have been formed in any part. The principle which has been adopted with regard to the graves is that those nearest the various walks are considered the most valuable, and higher price is charged for them than for those in the centre of the various spaces. The register for interments is so kept that at any time the whole of the interments in any particular grave can be referred to.  … opening proceedings, h J Paull and Mr Gay in attendance …. Interments will be allowed in the church of England portion on and after Thursday next. The Roman Catholic portion was consecrated by Provost Croskel VG in October last and has been used from that time. The Dissenters commenced using the part appropriated to them in May last. [Manchester Courier 3 August1867 page 6]

Reference    Builder 21 May1864 Page 381
Reference    Manchester Courier 5 January 1865 page 4 – Manchester City Council
Reference    Manchester Guardian Saturday 7 January 1865 Page 7 (Contracts)
Reference    Sheffield Independent 9 January 1865 page 1 - contracts
Reference    The Builder 1867: 632.
Reference    Manchester Courier  Saturday 3 August 1867 page 6