St Mary’s Church Schools Balderstone Rochdale

NEW CHURCH SCHOOLS AT ROCHDALE. St. Mary's Schools, Balderstone, Rochdale, built at the expense of Messrs. Radcliffe, are to be opened to-day (Monday). The site is a triangular-shaped plot of ground, near Balderstone Hall, the east boundary being the new Rochdale and Oldham turnpike-road, and the west boundary the old road. The schools occupy the middle of the plot. The new parsonage, now all but completed, occupies the southern end. The old schools stand to the north of their new substitute, and are to come down in order to make room for the proposed church. The parsonage is a stone-built twelve-roomed house, with pantries, store-rooms, cupboards, &c, a good sized central hall, and ample cellaring. The buildings, which are intentionally somewhat plainer in external appearance than the adjoining schools, comprise three rooms — for girls, boys, and infants — each 70 feet by 30 feet, and 32 feet high from floor to ridge. The girls' and boys' school have each spacious classrooms attached. The girls and infants will enter by one common porch, leading to their respective schoolrooms. The boys have a porch to themselves. These porches are on the west, or playground side of the schools. On the eastern and more prominent side is another and more ornate porch, for use on occasion of parish gatherings, and for school visitors. This porch has a double - arched and cusped door, with a carved pillar and impost, and is finished at the top with an open balustrade. Its floor is laid with Minton's tiles. In the basement, under the northern end of the girls' school, is the chamber containing Haden's heating apparatus, which warms all the rooms; and beyond is the kitchen, a room 20 feet by 17 feet, fitted up with boiler and fireplace, and approached by an external staircase, and also by steps (for occasional use) from the girls' school above. There are wide folding doors between the girls' and boys' schools; and an arch is left, so that the infants' room may also be thrown en-suite if desired. All the rooms are well lighted, and amide provision is made for thorough ventilation. All the windows —and there are nearly 40—have arched or cusped heads, the tracery of which is filled with thick tinted glass in ornamental patterns and devices. Upon the middle of the ridge of the girls' school, which occupies the central position, is an open wooden square-shaped belfry, covered with an octagonal slated spire, with slated pinnacles at the four angles. There are metal terminals to these pinnacles, and a revolving gilt copper vane on the top of the turret, which is nearly sixty feet from the ground. The bell, which has been cast by Mears, of London, is of a good musical tone, and has cast on it the legend—Cum voco venite— (" Come when I call.") The roofs are covered with blue and purple slates iv bands, and finished with serrated ridge rolls. The broad roof surfaces are broken with picturesque gabled dormers, which are useful for both light and ventilation. The architectural style of these buildings is—for the Parsonage, a plain type of domestic Gothic—hardly even pointed; and for the schools a more ornate type of Gothic, more decidedly pointed, and with many windows, whose beads are filled with tracery. The walls are all faced with Yorkshire parpoints, and the ashlar dressings are of Summit stone. The school and class-room walls, inside, are lined with brick, red brick for the lower four or five feet, and with Grundy's "white-" bricks for the upper part. Here and there patterns and bands of red bricks on the "white" ground are introduced. The girls' and boys' schools have been for the most part built by Mr. W. A. Peters. The masonry of the infant school is by Mr. W. Leach, and the joiner's work by Mr. John Parker. The parsonage has been built by Mr. James Lord. The architect is Mr J. Medland Taylor, of St. Ann s-churchyard, Manchester. [Manchester Courier Monday 8 January 1866 page 3]

ST. MARY'S SCHOOL, BALDERSIONE - On Monday, these new schools, which have been built the sole expense of Messrs. Radcliffe, were opened. The site is a triangular shaped plot of ground, near BalderstoneHall, the east boundary being the new Rochdale and Oldham turnpike road, and the west boundary the old road. The schools occupy the middle of the plot. The new parsonage, now all but completed, occupies the southern end. The old schools stand to the north of their new substitute, and are to come down, in order to make room for the proposed church. The parsonage is a stone-built twelve-roomed house with plenty of pantries, store-rooms, cupboards, etc, a good sized central hall, and ample cellaring. It is intentionally somewhat plainer in its external appearance than the adjoining schools. The school buildings comprise three rooms for girls, boys, and infants, each 70 feet by 30 feet, and 32 feet high from floor to ridge. The girls' and boys' schools have each spacious class-rooms attached.. The girls and infants will enter by one common porch, leading to their respective schoolrooms. The boys have a porch to themselves. Adjoining these porches are well-ventilated and lighted conveniences, all under cover, and the entrances which are very privately though accessibly arranged, and so that there shall be no unsightly side or corners. Those porches are on the west playground side the schools. On the eastern, and better seen side is another and more ornate porch for use on the occasion parish gatherings, and for school visitors. This porch has a double arched and cusped door, with a carved pillar and impost, and is finished at top with an open balustrade. It's floor is laid with Minton's tiles. In the basement, under the northern end of the girls' school, is the chamber containing Haden's heating apparatus, which warms all the rooms, and beyond it the kitchen, a room 20 feet by 17 feet, fitted with boiler and fireplace, and approached by an external staircase, and also by steps (for occasional use, from the girls' school above. There are wide folding doors between girls' and boys' schools, and an arch is left so that the infants' room may also be thrown en-suite if desired. All the rooms are well lighted, and ample provision is made for thorough ventilation. All the windows (and there are nearly forty) have arched cusped heads, the tracery of which filled with thick tinted glass in ornamental patterns and devices. Upon the middle of the ridge of the girls' school, which occupies the central position, is an open wooden square-shaped belfry, covered with an octagonal slated spire, with slated pinnacles at the four angles. There are metal terminals to these pinnacles, and a revolving gilt copper vane at the top of the turret, which is nearly 60 feet from ground. The bell is cast by Mears, London. It is of good musical tone, and has cast on it the legend " Cum Voco Venite"—meaning, Come when I call." The roofs are covered with blue and purple slates in bands, and finished with serrated ridge rolls. The broad roof surfaces are broken with picturesque gabled dormers, which are useful for both light and ventilation. The architectural style of these buildings is—for the parsonage—a plain type of domestic Gothic, hardly even pointed; and for tbe schools more ornate type of gothic, more decidedly pointed, and with many windows whose heads are tilled with tracery. The walls are all faced with Yorkshire parpoints, and the ashlar dressings are of Summit stone. The school and class-room walls inside are lined with brick; red brick for the lower four or five feet, and with Grundy's white bricks for the upper part. 11 ere .and there patterns and bands of red brick on the white ground are introduced. The girls' and boys' schools have been for the most part built by Mr. W. A. Peters. The masonry work of the infanis' school by Mr Leach; the joiner's work by Mr John Parker. The parsonage has been built Mr James Lord. The architect is Mr. J. Medland Taylor, of No. 2, St. Ann's Churchyard, Manchester. [Rochdale Observer 13 January 1866 page 5]

ROCHDALE. -The new church of S. Mary, Balderstone, Rochdale, was consecrated on Monday last by the Bishop of Manchester. The site of this new edifice adjoins the main Oldham road, and the style of architecture is the Decorated Gothic. At the northwest corner is a steeple, with a tower and spire rising to a height of nearly 150 feet; and under this is a porch forming the main entrance to the church. In the spandrels of the nave arches there are six medallions, three on each side, containing the following subjects: The Annunciation ; the Birth of Christ; S. Mary finding Christ in the Temple; the Marriage in Cana; Christ commending His Mother to the care of St John; and the Deposition from the Cross. At the west end are two similar medallions containing two subjects symbolical of baptism: the Passage of the Red Sea, and the Ark. The gas fittings are by Messrs Hart & Co., who here also executed the lectern and pulpit desk. There is a peal of eight bells by Messrs Mears & Co. The reredos, pulpit, and font .are by Messrs Earp & Co; and the medallions and the rest of the carving by Mr Evan Williams. The coloured decoration is by Messrs Best & Lea. The heating apparatus, by hot water pipes, is by Mr. Walker. The general contractor is Mr. Mark Foggett, who has carried out the work from the designs and under the superintendence of the architects, Messrs Medland & Henry Taylor, of Manchester. [Building News 5 July 1872 page 15]

BALDERSTONE, ROCHDALE - St. Mary’s Church, which completes the group of buildings, comprising church, vicarage, and schools, - all erected by the liberality of the Messrs. Radcliffe, - has been consecrated by the Bishop of Manchester. The site is triangular in shape, bounded on the cast by the main Oldham-road; on the west by the old road to Oldham; and on the north by a street passing close to the churchyard, and leading to the Greenfield Mills. The principal view of the church, - if, indeed, one be superior to another, - is the north-east, which is seen on approaching the church from the town. It takes in the east chancel gable, mainly occupied by a large five-light traceried window. The stonework of the window is moulded, and on each side of it is a slender shaft, with a carved capital. This, like each of the main gables, is surmounted by a carved stone cross. The tracery of the windows is considerably varied, although there are some forty or fifty in the church, besides those of the belfry. On walking round the outside from the east towards the north, on the north side of the chancel is seen a two-light window, lighting the sanctuary; and further on, under the eaves, a pair of clearstorial rose windows. The east gable of the organ chamber, containing a three-light traceried window, a little square quatrefoil on the north side of the organ-chamber, and a small window on the east of the transept, come next in order. In the north gable in this transept is a rose window, 10  feet or more in diameter. Below it is a buttress, circular on plan, resting on an hexagonal base, and flanked on either side by a pair of narrow cusped windows. A carved band runs across this gable, above the large rose window. At the extreme north-west comer stands the steeple, with a tower and spire rising to a height of nearly 150 feet. The spire is a broached octagon, with canopied pinnacles rising from the broaches. The west gable contains a large four, light window; below it is a projection of some feet, with a battlemented cornice. The south elevation generally resembles the north, except that the details are different. In the interior, the marbles, granite, and alabaster; the coloured mural decoration; and the colours of the stained glass, all contribute to enhance the general effect. The eastern end especially attracts the eye. The chancel fittings are of oak. The east wall of the chancel is almost entirely occupied by the reredos and the east window. On each side of the chancel are large arches, opening into vestry and organ-chamber respectively. The east chancel-window is of five lights, and is filled with stained glass, in subjects, by Messrs. Heaton, Butler, & Bayne. The transept windows, and those at the west ends of the aisles, are also filled with stained glass by the same firm. The great west window, —which is a memorial one, - is filled with subjects all relating to the Resurrection. The rest of the glazing is in simple patterns in various shades. The church is lighted by brass gas standards, one in the centre of each of the nave arches. There are two gas coronas in the chancel, and supported against the wall by floriated brass brackets. The general contractor is Mr. Mark Foggett, who has carried out the work from the designs, and under the superintendence, of the architects, Messrs. Medland & Henry Taylor, of Manchester. [Builder 3 August 1872 page 612-613]

Reference    Manchester Courier Monday 8 January 1866   Page 3
Reference    Rochdale Observer 13 January 1866 page 5
Reference    Building News 5 July 1872 page 15
Reference    Builder 3 August 1872 page 612-613