Church of St Ambrose Chorlton-on-Medlock Manchester

Plans have been prepared for a new church on a plot of ground at the corner of Ludlow Street in Higher Chatham Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock. The church which is to be dedicated to St Ambrose, will be early English in design, from the drawings of Mr H C Charlewood, architect of this city. It will consist of a nave with clerestory, south aisle, vestries, etc. The west front facing Chatham Street will contain a large window, from which the principal light will be obtained. Provision is made for 400 sittings. The incumbent of the new church will be the Rev Charles Edward Partington MA, of Worcester College, Oxford, senior curate of All Saints’ Oxford Road. [Manchester Guardian 22 July 1882 page 12]

On Saturday last Canon Birley laid the foundation stone of a new church which is being erected in Higher Chatham-street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester. The church is being built to the designs of Mr H C Charlewood by Mr R Carlyle, contractor. The edifice will be entirely of brick, in the Early English style. Accommodation is to be provided for upwards of 400 people. [British Architect 9 February 1883 page 73]

CONSECRATION OF NEW CHURCH IN MANCHESTER – The new church in Upper Chatham Street, Chilton-on-Medlock, to be known as St Ambrose’s, was consecrated on Saturday by the Bishop of Manchester. The church has seats for 400 persons. It is in the Early English style, and is built almost entirely of brick. The interior consists of nave and aisle, chancel and chancel aisle and vestries. The nave and chancel are 23 feet in width throughout, the total length being 80 feet; they are separated from the aisles by piers and arches in five bays with a clerestory above. The nave is 33 feet in height from the floor to the top of the wall-plate, and 45 feet from floor to ceiling, the roof being divided into ten bays by principals and curved braces, the whole of pitch pine and celled at the top of the collar. The building is well lighted by a range of lancet windows in the clerestory, but chiefly by the west window of the nave, which consists of five tall lancets facing Higher Chatham Street, the central light being about 27 feet in height. On account of the adjacent buildings it was quite impossible to have an east window, but a handsome reredos of Caen stone, filled in with marble mosaics, has been presented by Mrs Partington of Pembroke Square, Bayswater. The reredos has been executed by Messrs Burke, Salviati and Company of London, the central portion of the mosaic work representing the Paschal Lamb with the emblems of the four Evangelists on either side. The mosaics are continued across the whole width of the east wall, divided into six compartments on either side of the Lord’s Table, with corbel course of Bath stone above. The pulpit is of pitch pine, with panels of oak, the upper portion of each panel facing the congregation being filled in with a six-foiled circle with shields painted thereon. The shields are painted blue, ornamented with various sacred emblems in gold. The choir stalls, which have been presented by the working men of the parish, are of pitch pine with moulded standards and elbows, plain but substantial. The font has been presented by the choir, and is of coloured alabaster, supported on alabaster shafts with carved stone cap and stone base and plinth. It has been executed by Mr Hilton of Oxford Street. The contractor for the fabric of the church was Mr Robert Carlyle, of Manchester, the amount being £1,891, but the total cost of the church and its fittings complete, including reredos, is about £2,600. Mr Henry C Charlewood, of Manchester, is the architect. [Manchester Guardian November 1884 page 7]

CONSECRATION OF ST. AMBROSE'S CHURCH. The Bishop of Manchester will to-day consecrate the new church dedicated to St. Ambrose, which has been erected in Upper Cambridge-street, Choriton-on-Medlock. The church, in which sitting accommodation has been provided for400 worshippers, is in the early English order of architecture, and constructed almost entirely of brick, the plan consisting of a nave and aisle, chancel and chancel aisle, and vestries. The nave and chancel are 28ft. in width throughout, the total length being 80 feet, and they separated from aisles by piers and arches in five bays, with a clerestory above. The nave is 33ft. in height from the floor to the top of wall plate, and 45 feet from floor to ceiling. The roof is divided into 10 bays, by principals and curved braces, the whole of pitch pine, and ceiled at the top of the collar. The building is well lighted by range of lancet windows in the clerestory, and the large west window of the nave, which consists of five tall lancets, facing Higher Chatham-Street, the central light being about 27 feet in height. On account of the adjacent buildings it was impossible to have an east window, but a handsome reredos of Caen stone, filled in with marble mosaics, has been presented by Mrs. Partington, of Pembridge-square, Bayswater, and occupies the east wall. Tho reredos has been executed by Messrs. Burke, Salviati, and Company, of London. The central portion of the mosaic work represents the Paschal Lamb, with the emblems of the four evangelists on either side. The mosaics are continued across the whole width of the east wall, divided into six compartments on either side the Lord's table, with corbel course of Bath stone above. The pulpit is of pitch pine, with panels of oak, the upper portion of each panel facing the congregation being filled in with sexfoil circle with shields planted thereon, the shields painted blue, and ornamented with various sacred emblems in gold. The choir stalls, which have been presented by the working men of the parish, are of pitch pine, with moulded standards, and though plain are substantial. The open pews in the nave are of pitch pine, and the aisles are temporarily seated with chairs. The font, which has been presented by the choir, and is of coloured alabaster, supported upon alabaster shafts, with carved stone cap and stone base and plinth, has been constructed by Mr. Hilton, of Oxford-street. The gas fittings in the chancel and throughout the church are the work of Messrs. Freeman and Collier, of Manchester. The church heated by hot water, on the low-pressure system, the pipes being supplied and fixed by Mr. B. Harlow, of Heaton Norris. The contractor for the fabric of the church was Mr. Robert Carlyle, of Manchester, the amount of his contract being £1,891; but the total cost of the church and its fittings complete, including the reredos, has been about £2,600. Mr. Henry C. Charlewood, of Manchester, was the architect, and the whole of the work has been carried out under his supervision. [Manchester Courier 22 November 1884 page 6]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 22 July 1882 page 12 – ecclesiastical intelligence
Reference    British Architect 9 February 1883 Page 73
Reference    Manchester Guardian 24 November 1887 page 7- consecration
Reference    Manchester Courier 22 November 1884 page 6 - consecration