St Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church, York Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock

THE GRANBY-ROW MISSION—The clergy and committee of St. Augustine's, Granby-row, Manchester (says The Manchester Guardian), have now completed the arrangements for the erection of a new church and schools to replace those to be closed owing to the settlement of the negotiations between them and the Corporation. A site has been obtained in York-street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, bounded by Cooke Street, Stafford-street, and Herod-street, and here a new church to accommodate a congregation of 900, on elementary school for 1,000 children, and a presbytery for the priests is to be erected, work having begun. The new church is to be of Romanesque design, the architects being Messrs Randolf (sic) and Holt, of Manchester. The cost of church and schools is estimated at £21,000, and £14,000 has been paid for the land. The foundation-stone will be laid in July. In connection with the removal from Granby-row the Bishop of Salford (Dr. Casartelli) has consented to the amalgamation of the parishes of St. Augustine's and the Holy Family, which are adjacent, and when the new church is built it will occupy a central position in the newly-constituted parish. The Rev. Canon Richardson is rector of St. Augustine's, and Father Dootson is Rector of Holy Family.

On Saturday afternoon the Bishop of Salford laid the foundation stone of St Augustine’s new Church at York Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock. The site has cost £14,000 and £23,000 is to be expended on buildings. These will include schools and presbytery as well as the church. The church will have seating accommodation for 900 people, and will be in the Romanesque style. The new buildings will replace old St Augustine’s Church, schools, and presbytery in Granby Row, which have been purchased by the Corporation (for the building of Manchester Technical Schools). St Augustine’s is the second oldest Catholic church in Manchester. [Manchester Guardian 10 September 1906 page 10]

THE NEW ST AUGUSTINE’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, MANCHESTER – The church is in the Romanesque style, and consists of a nave 104 feet long, 32 feet wide and 58 feet high, with processional aisles 5 feet wide. The chancel is 30 feet wide and 37 feet long and 52 feet high, terminated at the east end by an apse, over which rises a semi-dome. There is also a chapel in each of the processional aisles, and a permanent decorative effect has been obtained by the use of contrasted coloured stone throughout. A rather distinctive feature is the baldachino, under which is the marble altar. Altogether it may be said to be one of the most artistic Catholic churches in Lancashire. It has accommodation for about 1,000 people. [Manchester Guardian 25 September 1908 page 5]

THE NEW ST AUGUSTINE’S CHURCH – Mr W Randolph writes from 8 King Street, Manchester: “In your account of the opening of this church it is stated to be in the ‘Romanesque style.’ There are of course, various developments of the style, and it is interesting to recall that in another branch of it an example exists in the Catholic Church of St Mary, Mulberry Street, designed as much as half a century ago by Messrs Weightman and Hadfield, of Sheffield. This building, excellent in its class and time (though incurring Pugin’s denunciations as a departure from English Gothic), belongs to the Rhenish Romanesque tradition, which was itself akin to the Lombardic. The new St Augustine’s does not, perhaps, conform precisely to any particular school of Romanesque, and is in fact under some obligation to the Gothic developments of a later generation.” [Manchester Guardian 28 September 1908 page 5- correspondence]

This new Roman Catholic church near Manchester has been built from the designs of Mr J Bernard Holt of St Ann’s Square and Mr E Randolph of King Street, Manchester, the joint architects (late Randolph & Holt). The church was opened the week before last. (Page 465). The building accommodates 1000 worshippers. The nave is 104 feet long, 32 feet wide and 58 feet high, with processional aisles 5 feet wide. The choir is 30 feet wide, 37 feet long and 52 feet high, terminating in an apse, and a fine baldacchino encloses the high altar. Coloured stone has been used to give decorative effect. The style is Romanesque. The suspended rood gives distinction to the sanctuary. [Building News 9 October 1908 Page 505 with perspective of interior by Alfred Rigby dated 1907]

Sir - To the dimensions of length given in your description should be added the western narthex, making an external total of 160 feet. Allow me further to say that there is at present no suspended rood, and that the design of the baldacchino referred to did not come within my purview.    Wilfred Randolph.

There is but little recent church architecture in Manchester. What there is is the worse for the demand for cheap churches. What seems cheap does not always prove to be really economical. Near the northerly end of Oxford Street, a little off the front, is a group of Roman Catholic buildings, church and schools. The church is dignified and suited to its purpose. The style may be called Romanesque. With all its merits, the pity is that there is so little in the design to redeem it from the commonplace. [Manchester Guardian 1 January 1909 page 4 - Last Year’s Building in Manchester].

The partnership between Randolph and Holt ended on 1 April 1907. Wilfrid Randolph completed the scheme alone.

Reference    British Architect 15 June 1906 Page 429
Reference    The Tablet 16 June 1906 page 942
Reference    Manchester Guardian 25 September 1908 page 5 – description with illustration
Reference    Manchester Guardian 25 September 1908 page 3 – opening ceremonies
Reference    Building News 2 October 1908 Page 465
Reference    Building News 9 October 1908 Page 505
Reference    Building News 16 October 1908 Page 566
Image         Guardian 25 September 1908. illustration by C G Agate