Besses o' th’ Barn Congregational Church

Situated some six miles north of Manchester, the church occupies part of a triangular site where the new turnpike road from Manchester to Bury through Broughton and Prestwich met the old road through Cheetham Hill. Built in 1864-1865 it was one of three chapels designed by Waterhouse for the Congregationalists, and showed the influence of Ruskin with its polychromatic brickwork and plate tracery.  Non-conformists had maintained the emphasis on preaching and at Besses with its T -shaped plan and galleried end, the congregation is brought as close as possible to the preacher. Equally important was the educational role of the non-conformist church, and here the schoolroom is simply a continuation of the Chapel with little to differentiate it externally.

BICENTENARY MEMORIAL CHURCH – On Saturday afternoon the foundation stone of a bicentenary memorial church and schools was laid at Besses-o-th-Barn, near Prestwich, by Mr Benjamin Whitworth. The contract price of the buildings is £3,700, and they will be erected by Mr Mark Foggett, of Cheetham, from the designs of Mr Waterhouse, the architect. The general style of the buildings will be Gothic and they will be of brick with stone facings. The front entrance will be at one gable, through a small arched doorway, with buttresses on either side. Over the doorway it is intended that there shall be a large rose window, fitted with tracery. The length of the building will be 77 feet by 40 feet, exclusive of the transept. There will be three galleries, and behind the pulpit will be an organ chamber, librarian’s rooms, and vestry. Over these rooms will be an infants’ school which will be 78 feet by 33 feet, and will afford accommodation for between 500 and 600 children, and the chapel will accommodate 823 people. [Manchester Guardian27 June 1864 page 2]

Opened        Opening service to be held at 7.00pm 16 November 1865

Reference    Manchester Guardian 27 June 1864 page 2 – foundation stone
Reference    Manchester Guardian Thursday 16 November 1865 Page 1 – notice of opening