The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Evangelist, Chapel Street, Salford

In October 1843, Mass was publicly celebrated in Salford for the first time since the Reformation. The service was held in a school chapel on the site of St John's church, later the Cathedral.

The foundation stone of this Cathedral, the Mother Church of the Diocese of Salford, was laid on Whit Thursday, May 1844, by Bishop James Sharples, Vicar Apostolic of the Lancashire District.

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, SALFORD. The largest ecclesiastical building in the neighbourhood of Manchester at this time in progress, is the edifice being built by the Romanists in Chapel street, Salford, from designs by Messrs Hadfìeld and Weightman, of Sheffield. The general plan is cruciform, with a central tower and lofty spire. The cardinal points have not been regarded in the placing of the building, as the chancel is towards the north. On the south side of the tower projects the nave, which is divided into four bays, and has a lofty clerestory. The principal entrance doorway is at the end of the nave. On the north tide are the choir and chancel, which are now intended to be carried out about the same length as the nave. The original design showed it projecting only one bay beyond the tower, but a school house baa been taken down to allow of (he extension. The transeptal chapel is on the western side of the tower, and will be lighted by a large wheel window; there will be an entrance to the chapel from the outside, and the vestry adjoins it. The transept on the east of the tower has a central entrance doorway. The roof of the choir will be groined in wood, and that of the nave framed in square panels, and painted in light colours by Bulmer. Sticklers for orthodoxy and correct imitation will discover little to cavil at in the details of the work, such as tracery of windows, arch mouldings, &c.; they are generally copied from Howden church, Yorkshire, or from contemporaneous structures; indeed the principle of imitation seems to have been carried too exactly throughout, for the most elaborate mouldings of that exquisitely delicate period of architecture the early decorated, are given in places where a simplification of them would have produced an adequate effect; if this be an error, however, it is on the right side. Newark furnishes a model for the spire, Howden for the nave, and Selby for the chancel; indeed the last will be a counterpart of its prototype, even to the canopied niches over the columns. [The Civil Engineer and Architects’ Journal. January, 1846]

ST JOHN’S CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL SALFORD This large and beautiful structure, which was commenced three years since last Whitsuntide, has for some time past reached a considerable altitude, so that, though situate in the very heart of the town, it forms already a most prominent object in the view from the surrounding districts, and promises, when completed, to form one of the most magnificent specimens of ecclesiastical architecture in the country, and probably the most splendid structure in Manchester. It is to be built entirely of stone, and in what is called the “Decorated” style. It will consist of nave, chancel, aisles, cross transepts, tower and vestries. The length of the nave and chancel is 173 feet and the width of the nave and aisles is 62 feet. Across the transepts the width is 102 feet. The roof is of open woodwork; the height from the basement to its ridge being 51 feet. A fine tower, the battlements of which are 102 feet from the basement, will be surmounted by a magnificent spire 125 feet high from its basement, and ornamented with sixteen pointed windows. At the western end are four very elaborately worked pinnacles, and it is intended to construct four others on the east, with open balustrades. The cathedral is completely covered in, and the spire is carried 30 feet high, leaving nearly 100 feet as yet to be constructed. There will be a splendid window at the east end. The altar and joiners’ work are intended to be of a very costly description. The building is not expected to be finished within at least twelve months from this time. The cost, we understand, already exceeds £15,000; but it is said that double this sum will be required for its completion. The contract for the stone and slate work is in the hands of Mr Hollins, of Manchester; the contracts for the other portions of the work are not let at present. Messrs Weightman and Hadfield, of Sheffield, are the architects; Mr Morgan is the clerk of the works. [Manchester Examiner 17 July 1847 page 6]

THE NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH, SALFORD - On Wednesday last, the noble spire of the new catholic church in Salford was completed, the cross and vane being secured on its apex in the presence of the architects, Messrs J G Weightman and ME Hadfield of Sheffield. The spire is 236 feet high, from the floor of the church to the apex of the cross. The stonework is capped by a ball or orb of copper, gilt; and surmounted by a cross, also of copper, having a weathercock at the summit. We understand the church is to be opened in May; but that the gorgeous decorations and fittings, which will eventually be required to complete the work, are not intended to be carried out at present. [Manchester Guardian 23 October 1847 page 7]

The church was designed at a time when Pugin's influence on architectural design had begun to take effect. To meet the new dictates laid down by Pugin, the architecture of the 1840s was to be Gothic while details had to conform exactly to the "Middle Pointed" or decorated style. However, to design in the Gothic style without copying was not easy. For an architect prepared to ignore accusations of plagiarism, it was simpler to accurately reproduce details from a number of buildings into one composite design and this was the approach adopted by Hadfield. Every detail at St John's cathedral appears in Edward Sharpe's book of measured details, Architectural Parallels. Thus, the tower and spire are taken directly from Newark, the nave from Howden and the choir from Selby Abbey.  A.W.N. Pugin, who had originally been associated with the design of St John's, found such mere reproduction a betrayal of all his principles while The Builder too found it impossible to condone such wholesale copying.

Had the architects consulted the whole of Mr Sharpe's illustrations, they might have produced something strikingly novel, and even more in accordance with the spirit of the style adopted.... The Selby window is in some parts ungraceful and even at variance with the principles of Decorated tracery. In an original work, trifling mistakes may be excused, but it reflects no credit on an architect to copy them. By learning from such examples, mistakes may be avoided: by copying them, these faults become more glaring in the transcript than they were in the original.

AND the traveller, approaching the city from nearly every quarter, sees now in its stead in a general prospect, the tall spire of St. John's Cathedral at Salford (the Manchester Southwark) soaring high into the air, above every other object. This again is a structure of which, for want of engraved views or photographs, very little is known in the South of England. It is a work of Messrs Hadfield, Weightman and Goldie, rather liberally adapted from ancient examples, having a nave (somewhat too short) copied from the church of Howden in Yorkshire ; a choir, copied from Selby Abbey Church, and a tower and spire from the well-known one at Newark. Within the church there are several altars of considerable beauty and merit; and one of the most beautiful of modern monuments, with a recumbent figure of the late Bishop Sharpies. The Roman Catholics of London are apt to speak of Pugin's church of St. George's at Southwark, certainly never designed for a cathedral, and a work of more individuality and of great merit as regards architectural detail, but here is a structure of stone with its tower and spire completed, hardly so long perhaps as St. George's, but which, taken altogether, is we believe the vastest and most complete modern church, that has been raised in these islands since the building of St. Paul's. [ARCHITECTURE IN MANCHESTER I. Building News. May 1861 Page 425]

The church was opened on 9 August 1848 with eight Roman Catholic bishops, 130 priests and many distinguished laymen taking part in the dedication service. However, it was not until 29 December 1850 that the Roman Catholic diocese of Salford came into being, the Reverend William Turner being consecration the first bishop of the new diocese by Cardinal Wiseman on 25 July 1851.

The church had a length of 200 feet and a width of 130 feet. The central tower 110 feet in height was built over the crossing, with coupled two light windows on each front. In addition three niches on each front were provided for statues of the twelve apostles. The spire reaching 240 feet above ground level was the tallest in Lancashire at the time. At the base of the spire are four hexagonal turrets with crocketed pinnacles, while there are four heights of spire light each with crocketed gables in alternate faces. At the West end was an entrance doorway deeply recessed and richly moulded. West window of four lights with tracery over. A niche above the window contains a statue of Mary and the Infant Jesus. At the east end - seven light window with flowing tracery over. Siting. Houses on north side close to the building. Even in 1850 hopes for their demolition to improve the prospect. Three storey maisonettes - 1960s now demolished. The open space to the south was used as a cemetery.

Reference    Manchester Examiner 17 July 1847 page 6
Reference    The Civil Engineer and Architects Journal. January, 1846
Reference    Manchester Guardian 23 October 1847 page 7   
Reference    Manchester Guardian 12 August 1848 Page 9 with extensive note - Dedication of St John’s Cathedral Salford
Reference    Architecture in Manchester I. Building News. May 1861 Page 425