Building Name

Church of the Holy Innocents Fallowfield

Date
1870 - 1872
District/Town
Fallowfield, Manchester
County/Country
GMCA, England
Work
New Build

  • Corner Stone laid 4 June 1870
  • Consecration: January 1873

CHURCH OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS, FALLOWFIELD, MANCHESTER. The corner-stone of the Church of the Holy Innocents, at FallowfieId, was laid on the 4th inst., with full Masonic ceremonial, in the presence of the Grand Lodge of East Lancashire, by Brother the Hon. Wilbraham Egerton, M.P. The site of the new church, which has been given by Lord Egerton of Tatton, in addition to £1,000 subscription towards the building fund, is on the north side of the new road leading from Fallowfield to Chorlton, and adjoins the Didsbury high road. Space is also provided for the erection of schools and a parsonage. The church comprises a nave, about 89 ft. by 25 ft. internally, divided into five bays or arches, 17 ft. wide, and about 62 ft. high from the ground to the ridge. On each side of the nave are aisles about 13 ft. wide. This portion of the church is lighted by a two-light window, having ornamental heads in each bay of the aisles, and by a large window of bold design in the west end of the nave. The clearstory consists of lofty coupled single lights, with cusped heads, in each bay, the pier between supporting the intermediate roof principals. From the moulded corbels at the foot of the hood moulds to the nave arches rise wall-shafts, with moulded caps and bases, which support the roof principals. The chancel is about 38 ft. long and 22 ft. wide, and is raised above the floor of the nave by several steps which occur in the centre of the chancel wall. The chancel is lighted by three clearstory windows on each side, and five in the apse, which is on plan a semi-decagon below and a semicircle above. On the south of the chancel are two moulded arches, opening into a side chapel or aisle, which is also connected with the south aisle of the nave by a single arch. On the opposite side of the chancel are the vestry, a lofty organ-chamber, with arches opening into both chancel and north aisle of the nave. The pulpit is placed at the north-east corner of the nave, touching the foundation-stone. The font is near the south porch, at the west end of the south aisle. The tower, which forms a second porch, and a spire, are at the east end of the south aisle, next to the chapel, and have been most carefully designed with reference to their appearance when executed. The exterior of the building will be executed in pierre point, with stone dressings to windows, etc., and the window tracery may be of Berlin red terra-cotta; the main internal columns and arches to be worked in red Runcorn stone, with white stone for caps and bases. The church will accommodate about 700. The builders are Messrs. Ellis and Hinchliffe, and the architects are Messrs. Price and Linklater of Manchester and London. [Builder 11 June 1870 page 463]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 6 June 1870 page 3
Reference    Builder 11 June 1870 Page 463
Reference    Building News 17 June 1870 page 458