New Church: (St Philip) Bradford Road, Manchester

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF ST. PHILIP’S CHURCH, BRADFORD-ROAD. The foundation stone of a new church, called St. Philip's, being the fifth of the ten proposed to be erected the Ten Churches' Association, was laid on Wednesday last, by the Venerable the Archdeacon of Manchester. The site of the church is in Ridgway street, near the east end of Butler-street, in Bradford-Road, in the midst of thickly populated district. The ground for the church was handsomely presented by Sir Oswald Mosley. The architect is Mr. Shellard, King-street, and the builders Messrs. Crowther and Bray, executors of the late Mr. R. Trees. The church is designed the early English style of pointed architecture, and will consist of a nave with a clerestory, north and south aisles, north porch, chancel and vestry. It will afford accommodation for 1,000 worshippers: the whole of the sittings for adults being on the ground floor. There will be a western gallery exclusively for children. The internal effect of the church will be solemn and imposing, and for a cheap church very handsome. The clerestory will be supported by two rows of shafted stone pillars with moulded capital and moulded arches, somewhat similar to those in the church at Failsworth, by the same architect, which was consecrated last week. The entire edifice will be externally cased with Yorkshire stone of a superior quality, and will be in all its leading features not unlike the church at Failsworth. The tower and spire are, if funds shall be provided for their erection, intended to be placed the north-west angle of the church, so as to be seen as much as possible from the several short streets abutting upon the site. It is expected that this church will greatly surpass in point of architecture, as well as dimension, any of the churches hitherto built by this association; indeed, the well-known reputation of Mr Shellard, as the chief ecclesiastical architect in these parts, is sufficient guarantee that the church will be above mediocrity. [Manchester Courier 5 December 1846 Page 2]

ST PHILIPS CHURCH, BRADFORD ROAD, MANCHESTER - This handsome place of worship in Ridgway Street, Butler Street, Bradford Road, the foundation stone of which was laid about four months since, is progressing rapidly towards completion. It is being built at the expense of the Manchester and Salford Ten Churches Association, and is intended to accommodate one thousand persons. The style of it is the Early English. It will consist of a nave with clerestory; north and south aisles, a chancel and a north porch, unless the latter should be superseded by a tower and spire, which there is some expectation will be subscribed for by the wealthy mill owners in the neighbourhood. The roofs will be of open timber work, after the manner of the roofs of the 14th century. The pulpit and desks will be placed on either side of the chancel archway. The seats will be fitted up as open benches with stall ends similar to those at Blackley Church near Manchester. There will be no side galleries, but a gallery will be erected at the western end, for the accommodation of the Sunday school children. The side walls are now ready for the aisle roofs, and internal stone pillars for the clerestory will be all but fixed in about a fortnight. The whole building is expected to be completed in about three months from the present time. Mr Shellard, of King Street, is the architect; the contract for the masonry was taken by Messrs Crowther and Bray, and that for the remainder of he works is carried on by the executors of the late Mr Richard Trees, of Manchester. The estimated cost is £3,600. [Manchester Examiner 17 July 1847 page 6]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 10 October 1846 Page 11( Contracts)
Reference    Manchester Courier 10 October 1846 Page 4 ( Contracts)
Reference    Manchester Guardian 14 October 1846 Page 1( Contracts)
Reference    Manchester Guardian 5 December 1846 Page 9 Column 5 - Foundation Stone
Reference    Manchester Courier 5 December 1846 Page 2 - Foundation Stone
Reference    Manchester Examiner 17 July 1847 page 6