Building Name

Church of St Anne Broadway, Royton, Oldham

Date
1908 - 1910
Street
Broadway
District/Town
Royton, Oldham
County/Country
GMCA, England
Work
New Build

A very fine building of 1908-9. It was built under the stimulus of an enthusiastic young curate from St Paul's, the Rev. J.T. Ormerod. Moore was selected after visits to various newly-erected churches and his work evidently impressed the decision-makers. St Anne's is one of four passage-aisled churches erected by Moore - an idea that goes back in his output to Barnsley. Prominence is given to the external roof treatment with the nave roof sweeping down and splayed out over the narrow aisle. This roof comes down low so there is no room for big side windows. Hence the small windows are grouped in the manner of Moore's divided east windows and combined with wall passages to create visually interesting effects of solids and voids internally. The interior is very compact (nave 9.3m wide x 13.6m long) and Moore uses various techniques to create an illusion of space. The tower was only completed in the 1920s by Leslie Moore (to the original designs). The school at Royton built by Moore in 1914-16 is one of only two cases where he worked on a school. [A Victorian Society tour to Rochdale, St Aidan and  Royton, St Anne led by Geoff Brandwood, 4 May 1996]