Church of St Bride. Shrewsbury Street Brooks’s Bar Old Trafford

Plans were prepared in 1875 for a new church on a site between Clifton Street and Shrewsbury Street, Old Trafford, building work commencing in late 1876. The foundation stone was laid by Miss Hunter, one of the principal contributors to the church on 10 March 1877. Consecration took place on 2 August 1878 but at that time only a portion of the church had been completed, due to lack of funds. In 1883, the chancel, apse, transepts, tower and spire were added and the church re-opened on 14 June 1884.  Providing seating for 800, the church cost over  £10,000. Designed in the early French Gothic style, the ground plan was in the form of a Latin cross with apsidal chancel. The octagonal tower and short spire rose to a height of 160 feet, built over the crossing. Two bay west porch and two west windows. Choir stalls and chancel fittings in oak. The main contractor for the completion of the work, William Brown of Salford, donated the choir stalls, the masonry contractor, W. B Kendall, donated the Bath stone wall between nave and chancel while the architects donated the font.

THE NEW CHURCH OF ST BRIDE, BROOKS’S BAR – Yesterday forenoon the new Church of St Bride, Shrewsbury Street Brooks’s Bar, which has been in course of erection for the past 16 months, was duly consecrated by the Bishop of Manchester. The building is situated between Shrewsbury Street and Clifton Street, and in addition to the church site, a plot of land containing upwards of 1,000 square yards at the east end of the building has been secured, on which it is proposed to erect a parsonage house for the minister (the Rev Kenneth L Jones MA). The foundation stone  of the church was laid about 18 months ago by his Lordship, and at present the nave and north and south aisles have been completed. When finished, the church will consist of those portions, together with north and south transepts and an apsidal choir. The internal dimensions of the nave and aisles are - length, 90 feet; breadth, 52 feet; height from floor to apex of roof, which is open, 56 feet. It will, when completed, seat 800 persons. The style of architecture is Geometrical middle pointed. The walls externally are of Yorkshire parpoints, with dressings of red Runcorn stone. The arcade of the nave is in Bath stone, with columns of red Runcorn, and the plain face is plastered. The roofs are of red pine, and the seatings, etc, of Baltic timber. The architects are Messrs Pennington and Bridgen, of Manchester and London; and the contractor is Mr Wilson, Erskine Street, Hulme. [Manchester Guardian 3 August 1878 page 5]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 12 March 1877 page 8 - foundation stone
Reference    Manchester Guardian 15 December 1877 page 5
Reference    Manchester Guardian 3 August 1878 page 5- consecration
Reference    British Architect 9 August 1878 Page 67
Reference    Building News 9 August 1878 page 145
Reference    Manchester Guardian 16 June 1884 page 6 - reopening
Reference    The Builder 1875: 850.