Stowell Memorial Church Regent Road and Trafford Road Salford

Foundation stone laid on the 19 October, 1867; Consecrated 14 May 1869; declared redundant 22 December 1981 and 18 November 1983. Demolished 1983 except for the tower, retained as a landmark at the end of the M602

Some of the friends and admirers of the late Canon Stowell have determined to erect to his memory church, parsonage, and schools. The sites selected are at the corner of Cross Lane and Regent-Road, Salford. The church is to seat about 700 people, and is to cost £7,000. Designs of Mr J. Medland Taylor, the architect, have been adopted, and the works are to be begun as soon as possible. [Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, Saturday 15 September 1866 page 9]

The foundation stone of the Stowell Memorial Church was laid on Saturday by the Bishop of Manchester. The site is at the end of Cross Lane, Manchester, not far from Christ Church, where Canon Stowell laboured for so many years, and it is expected that sufficient money will be raised to build a parsonage as well as a church. [Building News 25 October 1867 page 744]

This church in Regent Road Salford was consecrated yesterday afternoon (by the Bishop of Manchester). On the 19 October 1867 the foundation stone was laid by the Bishop. The church was intended to commemorate the life and labours of late Rev Canon Stowell. The site, most advantageously situated as it is, had formerly been a pit, and was found to be filled with material of a far from solid nature, so that in some parts the walling is as deep below ground as it is above it. The steeple is so placed that on entering Regent Road from Water Street it is at once seen in the distance, and appears from that point of view to be in the centre of the street, with the rows of houses on either side. The church is also seen from the Bowdon railway, the London and North Western and the Lancashire and Yorkshire railways. From the Bowdon line it is especially conspicuous. The church itself is a lofty structure of stone, designed in the geometrical decorated style of architecture. It consists of an unusually broad nave flanked by comparatively narrow aisles. The chancel is of corresponding dimensions, and lofty. On the north side of the chancel, almost detached in appearance and entirely in reality, from the main building, stands the steeple about 150 feet high. On the opposite side of the chancel, in the basement storey, is the heating chamber, above that is the vestry and over that again the organ chamber, the latter opening by wide arches into the chancel and south aisle respectively. To the south of the vestry is a lobby, immediately adjoining which the rectory is shortly to be built, and which contains a staircase to the organ chamber. The western wall of the nave is pierced by an arcade of three arches; beyond the central one is the baptistry, so that the font, whilst well in view from all parts of the church,  is placed well out of the way of draughts. The outer two of these three arches lead respectively to the north and south porches, and are provided with double doors. There is another principal door to the tower porch, so that by three wide doors the congregation may quickly disperse. The whole of the floors of the porches and passages are laid with red and black tiles in patterns. The chancel is laid with Maw’s ornamental tiles. The chancel stalls and communion table are all of oak, moulded and carved. The reading desk, which stands to the south-east corner of the nave, facing west, is of pitch pine. The book board is made of two heights, the upper one to serve as a Bible table is of plain design, as at time of service it will always be covered. The top is hinged, and within is a space which will contain the cloth when not in use. The stone pulpit is at the north-eastern corner of the nave; it has a semi-circular front, and a row of trefoiled-headed moulded arches runs round it. Between the heads of these arches are a series of sacred symbols, in small circular medallions. The seats of the nave and aisles are all alike and are of simple form and comfortable shape. The font is of Bath stone, and is provided with drain and oak cover, and surmounted by ornamental metal work. The three light baptistry window is filed by ornamental glazing made by Edmundson and Company. The pulpit and font have been made by the masons engaged upon the church. The two pillars near the font have a band of foliage carved round their capitals by W Green of Fairy Lane. The two western porches, with the baptistry between them, are covered with a low sloping roof about the same height as those of the aisles. At the extreme ends of this are flying buttresses and stone pinnacles, so placed as to resist the thrust of the nave arches. Above the roof is the west window, which is divided into six compartments, and is ornamented by tracery in the upper part. Thus the chief light is thrown into the church behind the congregation and on to their books. The chancel window is of large dimensions, about 25 feet by 13 feet. It is of five lights, and the head is filled with a central rose and other tracery. There are five equal arches on each side of the nave; the walls of the aisle s opposite the easternmost of these arches project a little, and are gabled transept-wise. Should additional accommodation eventually be required, these quasi-transepts or either of them, may be projected to any desired distance, thereby improving rather than damaging the effect of the church. The clerestory windows are in pairs, alternating in design. The aisle windows are also all traceried and of different designs. The chancel arch is well moulded, and there are tall shafts from the springing of the arch to the ground. Red stone shafts with white stone capitals and bases carry te inner mouldings of this arch. The sides of the chancel are arcaded; the easternmost arch on either side contains a traceried window. Sufficient space is left beneath the east window to contain a reredos. The cancel lights are handsome brackets bearing a sort of crown of gas jets. In the nave a little above the capitals of the columns, are other somewhat similar but simpler brackets. There are also brackets in the aisles and elsewhere. This is not a  very usual mode of lighting, but where the experiment has been tried before it has met with much approval. The bell and its fittings, Hayden’s heating apparatus, in fact everything to render the church complete for service has been included in the contract. The church will seat 700 adults. The contract was taken by Mr Mark Foggett at something under ,7,000. Messrs Medland Taylor and Henry Taylor of Manchester are the architects. [Manchester Guardian 15 May 1869 page 5]

THE STOWELL MEMORIAL CHURCH, SALFORD. CONSECRATION  - Yesterday, the Memorial Church, Regent-road, Salford, was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Manchester. The site, however —most advantageously situated It is—had formerly been a pit, and it was found to be filled up many feet with material of far from solid description, so that in some parts the walling deep below ground as it is high above it. The steeple so placed that on entering the Regent Road from Water-street is once seen in the distance, and appears from that point of view as if the centre of the street, with the rows of houses on either side. From the Rowdon railway, owing to its position, the steeple is especially conspicuous. The church itself is a lofty and dignified structure of stone, designed in the geometrical decorated style of architecture. consists of an unusually broad nave, flanked by comparatively narrow aisles. The chancel is of corresponding dimensions, and lofty. On the north Bide of the chancel, almost detached in appearance, and entirely so ln reality .from the main building, stands the steeple, about 150 feet high. On the opposite side of the chancel, in the basement storey, is the heating chamber, with the vestry immediately above, and over that again the organ chamber, the latter opening by wide arches into the chancel and south aisle respectively. To the south of the vestry is a lobby, immediately adjoining which the rectory Is shortly to be built, and which contains staircase to the organ chamber. The western wall of the nave is pierced by an arcade of three arches, and beyond the central one is the baptistry. The outer two of these three arches lead respectively to north and south porches, and are provided with double doors. There is another principal door to the tower porch, so that by three wide doors the congregation may quickly disperse. The whole of the floors of the porches and passages are laid with red and black tiles in patterns, and that of the chancel with Maw's ornamental tiles. The chancel stalls and communion rail are all of oak, moulded and carved. The reading desk, which stands at the south-east corner of the nave facing west, is of pitch pine. The book-board ls made of two heights, the upper one to serve as a Bible lectern the lower for the Prayer-book. The front is divided into two portions a central shaft, and is filled with a series of narrow cusped arches, relieved in the middle by ornamental diamond-shaped panels. The communion table of plain design, as at the time of service will be always covered. The stone pulpit is at the north-east corner of the nave. It has a semi-circular front, and a row of trefoiled-headed moulded arches run round it. Between the heads these arches are a series of sacred symbols in small circular medallions, The seats in the nave and aisles are all alike, and are of simple form and comfortable shape, provision for books, hats, kneeling, kc., having been duly made. The font is of Bath stone, and is provided with drain and oak cover, surmounted by ornamental metal work. The three light baptistry window filled by ornamental glazing made by Edmundson and Co, The pulpit and font have been made by the masons engaged upon the church. The two pillars near the font have a band of leafage admirably carved round their capitals, by Mr. W. Green, of Fairy-lane. The two western porches, with the baptistry between them, are covered by a low sloping roof, about the same height as those of the aisles. At the extreme ends of this are flying buttresses and stone pinnacles ; so placed as to resist the thrust of the nave arches. Above this roof, is the great west window, which is divided into six compartments, and is ornamented with tracery ln the upper part, by which a flood of light is thrown into the Church behind the congregation. The chancel window is of large dimensions, about 25ft. by 13ft. It is of five lights, and the head is filled with central rose and other tracery. There are five equal arches each side of the nave. The walls of the aisles opposite the easternmost of these arches, project little and are gabled transept-wise. Should additional accommodation eventually be required, these quasi-transepts, or either of them, may be projected to any desired distance, thereby improving, rather than damaging, the effect of the church. The clerestory windows are in pairs, alternating in design. The aisle windows are also all traceried, and are all of different designs. The chancel arch well moulded, and there are tall shafts from the springing of the arch to the ground. Red stone shafts, with white stone capitals and bases, carry the inner mouldings of this arch. The sides of the chancel are arcaded; the easternmost arch on either side contains traceried window. space is left beneath the east window to contain reredos. It has been suggested that this should be as a special memorial to the late Canon Stowell. The gas fittings have been made by Messrs Thomason, of Birmingham. The chancel lights are handsome brackets bearing a sort of crown of gas jets. the nave, little above the capital-j of the columns, are other somewhat similar but simpler brackets. There are also brackets the aisles and elsewhere. This is not a very usual mode of lighting, but where the experiment has been tried before it has met with much approval. The bell and its fittings, Haden's heating apparatus, in fact everything to render the church complete for service, have been included in the contract. The church will seat 700 adults. The contract was taken by Mark Foggett, at something under £7,000. Medland Taylor and Henry Taylor, of Manchester, are the architects. [Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, Saturday 15 May 1869 page 6]

Reference    Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, 15 September 1866 page 9
Reference    Building News 25 October 1867 page 744 – foundation stone
Reference    Manchester Guardian 15 May 1869 page 5 – consecration
Reference    Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser,  15 May 1869 page 6
Reference    Pevsner: Lancashire: South