Sunday Schools Hyde Road Ardwick Manchester

SUNDAY SCHOOLS, HYDE ROAD, MANCHESTER. Several architects having been requested to furnish designs, those by Mr J Medland Taylor of Manchester were chosen for adoption, and the building is to be commenced immediately. There is, on the lowest storey, a day school-room 16 feet high and about 57 feet square. Above this is a large Sunday-school with classrooms on each side; and over there are other classrooms, with a gallery all round projecting before them.

HYDE ROAD SCHOOLS, MANCHESTER - The corner stone of these schools will be laid this (Saturday) afternoon. The building stands on a plot of land near Devonshire-street, Ardwick. The outside dimensions are 26 yards by 20 yards and there are, besides, open courts and offices at the rear. On the ground storey is a room 56 feet by 50 feet and 16 feet high, with cloakrooms, classroom, kitchen and heating chamber adjoining, at the west end: at the other end are the infants' schoolroom, and the main entrance lobbies and staircases by which the several stories are approached. On the next floor is the Sunday school-room 74 feet by 40 feet and 38 feet from floor to ceiling; at the south end is the platform, under an arched recess, which is also arranged to take the organ. Down each side are classrooms and above are galleries running round three sides, with more classrooms running out of them. This arrangement has been made in order that the classes may all join in the opening and closing services, and retire in the interval to their separate rooms without causing any bustle or disturbance. There are in all 24 classrooms which are seated round, and are well lighted and ventilated. The elevation fronting on to Hyde-road contains one large window lighting the principal school with small ones for the staircases and infants' school. At the corners are the two main staircases with the principal doorways opening into them. The staircase at the north-east corner is carried up as a tower, and is finished with a quadrilateral slated roof; the extreme height of this will be about 100 feet. The side elevations show on the lower storey the large three light windows of the day school, and above two tiers of coupled windows, lighting the classrooms; and above these again, just under the eaves of the main roof is a continuous clerestory window, shedding full light into the large Sunday schoolroom. The building is proceeding rapidly under the hands of the contractors, Messrs Moody, Hoyland and Shaw, who respectively are doing the bricklaying, carpentry and masonry, from the designs and under the superintendence of the architect, Mr J Medland Taylor of St Ann's churchyard, Manchester. [Manchester Courier 16 August 1862 Page 6 Column 6]

HYDE ROAD SCHOOLS - On Saturday the ceremony was performed of laying the corner stone of the new schools in course of erection in Hyde Road, which it is intended shall supply the place of schools belonging to the United Methodist Free Church in Fairfield Street, the site of which is required for the additional works now being carried out in connection with the new railway station at London Road. ..... The building stands on a plot of land near Devonshire-street, Ardwick.  The outside dimensions are 26 yards by 20 yards. On the ground storey is a room 56 feet by 50 feet and 16 feet high, with cloakrooms, etc. On the next floor is the Sunday school-room 74 feet by 40 feet and 38 feet from floor to ceiling. There are in all 24 classrooms. The elevation fronting on to Hyde-road contains one large window lighting the principal school with small ones for the staircases and infants' school. At the corners are the two main staircases with the principal doorways opening into them. The staircase at the north-east corner is carried up as a tower, and is finished with a quadrilateral slated roof. The extreme height of this will be about 100 feet. The contractors are Messrs Moody, Hoyland and Shaw, and the architect, Mr J Medland Taylor of this city. The building is estimated to cost £2,400, part of which will be defrayed from the sum received as compensation from the railway companies. [Manchester Guardian 18 August 1862 Page 2]

Reference    Builder 17 May 1862 page 356 (Competitions)
Reference    Builder 9 August 1862 Page 576 -tenders
Reference    Manchester Courier 16 August 1862 Page 6 Column 6 - foundation stone
Reference    Manchester Guardian 18 August 1862 Page 2 - foundation stone
Reference    Builder 23 August 1862 Page 609