United Methodist Free Church Stockport Road Levenshulme

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE UNITED METHODIST FREE CHURCH, LEVENSHULME – The foundation stone of the new chapel in connection with the United Free Church Denomination was laid at Levenshulme on Saturday afternoon by Sir James Watts. The chapel, when completed will accommodate 300 persons on the ground floor and about 30 in the singers’ gallery. The vestries, apparatus rooms etc, will be built at the back. The design is after the style that flourished in Italy during the 13th century. The leading features are a square brick tower with splayed pilasters and slated spire, 85 feet in height, with open belfry, having a series of poined arches, resting upon cast iron columns, with foliated capitals and stone springers. The front elevation, facing Stockport Road, will have a two-light traceried stone window with four-light window underneath, the whole set in a deep recess with splayed jambs and arch. The various window arches will be formed of red splayed and blue brick alternately. The roofs will have “lunettes” and bands of green slates. Hartley’s diamond embossed glass will be inserted in the windows, which are made to open. There will be a platform and communion, but no pulpit. The pews will be without doors. A portion of the roof timbers will be exposed below the ceiling line, and these, with all other woodwork, will be stained and varnished. The chapel will be built of machine-made bricks, with dressings of Halifax stone. The Committee propose, when the funds permit, to erect detached schools, with ample class-rooms, land sufficient for the purpose having been secured. The chapel, with its entire fittings, heating apparatus etc, will cost £1,200. The architects are Messrs Whyatt and Redford of Manchester and Heywood. The general contract is undertaken by Mr Thomas Pollitt of Swinton, near Eccles, and the brickwork by Mr James Wright of Heaton Norris. [Manchester Guardian 29 February 1864 page 2]

METHODIST FREE CHURCH. NEW CHAPEL AT LEVENSHULME. The corner-stone of new chapel, in connection with the United Methodist Free Church, was laid Levenshulme, on Saturday afternoon last, by Sir James Watts. … The chapel will accommodate 300 on the ground floor, and about 30 in the singers gallery. Vestries, apparatus room, &c, will be built at the back. The design is after the style that flourished in Italy during the 13th century; the leading features are a square brick tower, with splayed pilasters and slated spire, 85 feet high, with open belfry, having a series of pointed arches resting upon cast iron columns with foliated capitals stone springers. The front elevation (to Stockport Road) has a two-light traceried stone window, with four-light window underneath, the whole set in a deep recess with splayed jambs and arch. The various window arches are formed with red splayed and blue bricks alternately. The roofs have "lunettes" and bands of green slates. Hartley's diamond embossed glass will be inserted in the windows, which are made to open. There will be platform and communion, but no pulpit; the pews, which are commodious, are without doors a portion of the roof, timbers will be exposed below the ceiling line, and these, with all other woodwork, will be stained and varnished. The chapel will be built of machine-made bricks, with dressings of Halifax stone. The committee purpose, when the funds permit, to erect detached schools, with ample class-rooms, land sufficient for the purpose having been secured. The chapel, with its entire fittings, heating apparatus, etc, will cost £1,200; the architects are Messrs Whyatt and Redford, of Manchester and Heywood.[Manchester Courier 29 February 1864 page 3]

NEW CHAPEL AT LEVENSHULME - On Saturday afternoon, the foundation stone of a United Methodist Free Church was laid at Levenshulme, by Sir James Watts. The building will be erected from plans by Messrs Whyatt and Redford, architects, Manchester, and will be in the Italian style of the 13th century. The leading features of the building will be a square brick tower, with splayed pilasters and slated spire, 85 feet high, open belfry, and a series of pointed arches, resting upon cast-iron columns, with foliated capitals. The front elevation, which will face Stockport Road, will have a two-light traceried stone window with four-light window underneath, the whole set in a deep recess, with splayed jambs and arch. The roof will be open, and have "lunettes" and bands of green slates. The woodwork of the roof will be stained and varnished. The pews will be commodious, but without doors. The building will be of brick, with dressings of Halifax stone. It is estimated to cost £1,200. The general contract is in the hands of Mr. Thomas Pollitt of Swinton, and the brickwork of Mr. James Wright, of Heaton Norris. When funds permit it is proposed to erect detached schools, with classrooms, etc. at the rear of the church. Weo cost will be raised by subscription, and the church is expected to hold 300 people, with an additional 30 to the singers' gallery. [Manchester Times 5 March 1864 page 6]

METHODIST FREE CHURCH.-A new place of worship in connection with the Methodist Free Church was opened at Levenshulme, on Saturday afternoon. … The chapel will accommodate 330 - three hundred on the ground floor and thirty in a gallery intended for the singers. The building, which is of brick, with Halifax stone dressings, is In the style of the first period of pointed architecture. The principal features in the front elevation, to the Stockport Road, are a four-light, square-headed window, surmounted by a two-light traceried window, in a. deeply recessed arch; and a square tower, having an open belfry of pointed arches, resting upon dwarf cast-iron columns, from which rises a slated spire 83 feet In height. Blue and red bricks alternate in the arches of all the windows. On each side of the chapel there are five single-light, narrow windows, and there is a brick pler between each. The high-pitched roof is broken on each side by a central line of four diminutive gablets. The principal entrance Is a small porch on the town side of the building; and there is a corresponding door on the other side. The seats are without doors, a platform takes the place of the pulpit, and some of the roof timbers are exposed. The architects were Messrs Whyatt and Redford; and the contractors were Mr. Pollatt, of Swinton, for the timber-work, and Mr. Wright, of Stockport, for the brickwork.  [Manchester Courier 10 September 1864 page 6]

Reference    The Builder 1864: 399.
Reference    Manchester Guardian 29 February 1864 page 2 – foundation stone