Higher Crumpsall Synagogue Bury Old Road Salford M7
Opening scheduled for Sunday 15 September by Dr J H Hertz Chief Rabbi of the British Empire. Seating for 950. The synagogue is built of “Empire“ stone, the ark and reading desk being of marble. In giving special attention to the lighting the dome has been studded with varicoloured concealed lamps. Commodious schoolrooms have also been built as part of the edifice. {Manchester Guardian 14 September 1929 page 15]
The reference to white Empire stone facings to the exterior of the synagogue suggests that these were the product of the Empire Stone Building Company Limited and not natural (Portland) stone. Founded in the early years of the twentieth century, the company is recorded in the 1903 Leicester Directory as the Empire Indurated Stone Company at 2 Waterloo Street. By 1908, the Company had re-located to Narborough in Leicestershire and by the outbreak of the first World War had sales offices in Birmingham and at 231-232 The Stand, London. The company established a reputation as possibly the leading manufacturer of artificial stone in the UK, particularly in the 1920's. Production at the Narborough plant ceased in the 1960's or early 1970's.
The date of construction is remarkably late for carved elements to be incorporated into the design of the building in the Victorian tradition. However, by the use of artificial stone, such elements are easily cast in moulds at relatively little cost. In the twenty-first century Haddonstone, Chilstone and others continue this tradition with a vast range of statuary, garden ornaments and balustrading. It is therefore possible that the lion's heads were part of the Empire Stone Company's standard range, but further investigation would be required to establish this.
NEW SYNAGOGUE AT CRUMPSALL - AN ARCHITECTURAL TRIUMPH - It is a curious fact of great religious architecture that very seldom does it have a narrowly religious inspiration. The greatest modern Roman Catholic Cathedral is the work of a Protestant architect, and the greatest modern Protestant Cathedral is the work of a Catholic architect, the Mohammidams in India have drawn freely on the architectural genius of other races. Although Manchester's new synagogue in Bury Old Road, Crumpsall, is a structure on a scale infinitely smaller than those spectacular monuments, the intimate character of the Hebrew services and the scattered habitation of the Jewish community forbid any big scale construction - the synagogue is both the largest and the most inspired architectually in Britain. It is no surprise in the light of these observations to find that it is the design of two non-Jewish architects. As a matter of fact the architects, Messrs Pendleton and Dickinson, are well-known Machester practitioners, and fellows of the Manchester Society of Architects, It is immensely to their credit that they should have seized so unerringly on the essentials of synagogue worship and transformed them into the main features of the building itself. Synagogues have no standard ecclesiastical line such as churches possess and consequently past structures in the main present no exterior commentry on their purpose. Most of them might be serving any purpose architecturally speaking. In the case of the new synagogue (built for the Higher Crumpsall Hebrew Congregation, to serve the needs of an expanding district), the Ark of the Law which is the chief interior feature, is cleverly made to suggest the chief exterior feature, the central dome of the three which, as shown in the photograph are the important points of the main facade, actually contains the Ark. The two flanking domes in the same way mark the position of the choir accommodation in the interior and the design of the roof marks out the central position of the cantor's platform
Apart from its other merits, the new synagogue with its glistening white stonework, its spacious green lawn frontage, its handsome entrance gates and its general neat geometrical layout forms a striking addition to the rather dull architecture of Bury New Road at this point. It is bright as well as dignified, artistic as well as cheerful and being well set back and not unduly high does not clash in any way with surrounding structures. Originally on the site there stood one of those huge and ungainly Victorian residences which survive in great numbers round about this district, without a single discernable merit of any kind save that it was shut out from public view by a prison like rampart and accessible only by a long climb up mountainous paths. All this has been altered. The site has been levelled and remarkably simplified The long rectangular synagougue building is at little above street level, and is neatly isolated by wide asphalt drives on both sides and at the rear. The building itself, designed in the Free Classical manner, is of steel frame construction throughout, faced with white Empire stone, and the facade is relieved by two long stained glass windows which are a decorative feature of the interior. The main entrance to the synagogue, at the side, gives through large oak doors into a crush hall floored in rubber tiling. Two sets of swing doors give access to the body of the synagogue, whilst to balance these, two spacious staircases, brilliantly lighted by large leaded glass windows lead to the balcony (this is the women=s part of the synagogue, the sexes having to be separate)
The synagogue interior can be described without exaggeration as a beautiful symphony in fine marble, light oak and polished bronze. The whole of the east side, (corresponding to the main facade ) is taken up with the Ark of the Law and its platform, in ornate statuary marble and railed in bronze, the stained glass symbolically designed windows forming a framework to the Ark at both sides and at the top. Isolated in the centre of the hall is the cantor's "bima" or desk, a large square erection made in marble at the base, oak as to the floor and fittings, and artistically railed in bronze. Round the three sides of the synagogue are the congregation pews, in light oak, given ample natural light by large frosted windows incorporating a patent ventilation device. The balcony exactly corresponds with these pews, and is entirely in light oak. At its rear is another stained glass window. The interesting features about the synagogue are many. There is a dominant motif throughout the scheme of the "Shield of David" device of interlocking triangles and this is cleverly used for the lighting. Most of the lights are enclosed in specially made shades of this shape and the architects have worked the device into various features such as the window decoration, certain woodwork panels, and even the iron front gates. There are many beautiful pieces of craftwork in the place, including an intricate silver "lamp of memory" in front of the Ark, which is never allowed to go out from the moment the synagogue is dedicated. There is an unusual coloured lighting scheme for festive occasions.
Structural features of the scheme include a neat central heating scheme and sanitary accommodation in white tiling. At the rear of the synagogue is a school for religious teaching; a large one storey building divided up with wood and glass partitions. There is also a house for the resident official. The whole scheme has cost over £30,000 - a remarkable figure for a building to seat 900 people - and the whole of the sum has been subscribed by members of the congregation. The cost of various of the special features has been donated by individual members.
The synagogue was formally opened on September 13th by Mr David Spire and consecrated by the Rev. Dr. A Feldman. Mr Nathan Marks is the president of the congregation. It is interesting to note that two other new synagogues have recently been built in Manchester, one in Withington and one in Cheetham. [Manchester City News 5 October 1929 Page 8]
Reference Manchester City News 5 October 1929 Page 8 - New Synagogue at Crumpsall
Reference Manchester Guardian 29 October 1928 page 12 – foundation stone
Reference Manchester Guardian 14 September 1929 page 11 – illustration of interior
Reference Manchester Guardian 14 September 1914 p15 and p11 – illustration of interior
Reference Manchester Guardian 16 September 1929 page 11 – opening and consecration
Reference C Hartwell South East Lancashire
Reference Jewish Heritage
