Church of All Saints, Barton on Irwell
Built at the western end of Trafford Park, which at the time was still the country estate of the de Trafford family, the present church replaced the first All Saints Chapel of 1818. Work on the new building commenced in April 1865, it was consecrated on 9 June 1868 and opened on 18 June 1868. Sir Humphrey de Trafford donated the site of 4955 square yards and "offered not less than ,25,000 in order that a grand church be erected to the glory of God". The church was completed in the later years of Pugin's partnership with Ashlin. The builder was again Glaister of Liverpool who had just completed St Ann's Church, Stretford for the same architect and patron. The plan included the building of the presbytery to the south of the church together with a linking cloister. The church was planned conventionally, with the major axis running east-west and comprised the nave with side aisles reduced to processional ways, chancel with polygonal apse and north porch. In the French Gothic tradition there were no transepts but in Pugin tradition each of these elements was expressed elevationally and roofed separately. The de Trafford Chantry Chapel, already complete, was linked to the chancel at the end of the north aisle. The north porch was placed on a secondary axis running north to south and directly opposite the cloister link to the presbytery. The Lady Chapel, entered from the south aisle, was opened on 12 January 1902 but subsequently fell into disuse. Subsequent problems of damp penetration and dry rot led to the removal of the roof and the creation of an open-air chapel in 1988. Also on south aisle were the doors to the cloister and two confessionals, now converted to a sacristy. The original sacristies were demolished in 1950 to allow the construction of a church hall with dormitories over.
The walls were constructed of Yorkshire stone with a rock faced texture, laid in diminishing courses with smooth ashlar dressings to quoins angles string courses etc. The modified wheel window motif at clerestory level are taken from French gothic architecture while the plate tracery to aisle windows show the influence of Ruskin. The steeply pitched slate roof incorporated polychromatic patterns, wrought iron finials at changes in roof level and a decorative fretted ridge. Generally the roof eaves project over the walls in 'rustic' fashion. At the East end the windows of the apse are set high above a massive stone base while huge gargoyles in the form of grotesque gothic beasts project at each corner. At the west end are two massive buttresses running the full height of the nave and terminating in gabled heads surmounted by statues of bishops. The large rose window is contained within a pointed arch of red and yellow sandstone, deeply moulded. Below the rose window - string course with gables containing angels, arcade of seven lancet windows with shafts of contrasting red sandstone. At the apex of the nave roof the fleche type bell tower corbelled out from the foliated top of a stub column. Four arcaded cylindrical columns form the open bell chamber above which are four gabled niches each with a statue of an Apostle. The octagonal pinnacle above terminates with a bulbous top and wrought iron finial cross.
Internally the exposed timber roof to the nave is formed of a series of scissor trusses with principals springing from stone corbels carved as angels which punctuate the horizontal banding below the clerestory cills. The Manchester Guardian of 19 June 1868 reported that the roof was 'entirely composed of English oak and Savanah pitch-pine, inlaid with profusely-coloured woods and enriched with gilding'. The aisle arcades have alternate bands of Runcorn red sandstone and Painswick stone. Wall paintings in the nave include the Coronation of the Virgin in the north aisle, the Annunciation with Mary and Gabriel in the south aisle. Above the chancel arch is Christ in Majesty, with the dove of the Holy Spirit in the topmost panel of the scissor truss. The original stencilled frieze above the spandrels of the aisle arcades is now overpainted. The pulpit is of carved marble on short stumpy columns, a detail showing the influence of Burges. The brass balustraded stair to the pulpit is by Hardman. The plan emphasises the ritual progression from the nave towards the altar. Four steps lead up from the nave at the chancel arch and the altar itself is raised further by four steps. The space too is manipulated, being narrowed to emphasise height. Above the chancel, a rib vaulted ceiling with carved foliated bosses at each intersection shows the influence of the elder Pugin. Decoration too is concentrated on the sanctuary and the detailing reveals Pugin's interest in relating architectural form to the applied arts. Sculpture, painting, metalwork, stained glass and ceramics are all used to enhance the chancel area (2). The floor of the ..... is composed of red marble and encaustic tiles. The chancel floor tiles predominantly form roundels bearing the word 'Sanctus', with borders including tiles with a black bird assumed to be the sable matlet of the Pugin coat of arms. The apse windows originally contained stained glass by Powell and Hardman of Birmingham, mostly lost due to war damage. The apse walls were given a plaster finish originally with stencil decoration. An extensive mural on the upper part of south wall includes a portrait of Pugin. The chancel communion rail in polished and wrought brass with bejewelled cruciform roundels and the rails to the de Trafford Chapel are also by Hardman & Company of Birmingham.
The artists and sculptors responsible for All Saints are not known. According to Dr R. O'Connell of English Heritage, likely artists include Joseph Pippett who worked for Hardman & Company or the more remote possibility of Clayton and Bell who occasionally undertook commissions in Roman Catholic churches. In addition, Boulton of Cheltenham and Getlowski of Liverpool were used extensively by Pugin for sculptural work.
The new Roman Catholic Church of All Saints, Barton on Irwell, was consecrated on the 18th ult. by Dr. Manning. The plan consists of nave, chancel, and aisles. The total internal length is 140 feet, and the width 34ft,, the nave and chancel being 20ft. wide. Accommodation is provided for 550 persons. Externally the building is finished with Yorkshire pierpoints and Stourton freestone dressings. A large presbytery adjoins the church. The total cost of the works was £20,000. Mr. E. Welby Pugin was the architect and Mr. Glaister, of Liverpool, the contractor. [Building News 10 July 1868 page 474]
Mr Boulton, sculptor, of Worcester, has just finished four statues, life-size, and four sitting statues, and two angels, 5 feet high, for Barton Church, near Manchester. This church is being built at the expense of Sir Humphrey de Trafford, from the designs of Mr Welby Pugin. [Building News 8 March 1867 page 174]
