Wesleyan Chapel: Dickinson Road Rusholme
PROPOSED NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL IN RUSHOLME - The foundation stone of a new chapel in Rusholme, for the use of the Wesleyan Methodists, was laid on the 29th of March. The style of architecture will be Gothic, of the Geometric Decorative period. The facing of the external walls will be Pierrepoint stone, with dressings of Hollington stone. The roof will be open, and will have a span of 43 feet. The principal entrance will be from Dickenson-road, through moulded doorways. The bays are to be divided respectively by buttresses, and will contain side windows of two lights with traceried heads. Over each of the two entrances is to be a gable, containing two other two-light windows, intended to afford light to a future gallery at the western end of the building. The front will consist of a gable, divided by buttresses into three compartments; the centre containing a triplet of two light windows; and above these there is to be a five-light window, 12 feet wide by 21 feet high. The gable will be surmounted by a stone cross. The nave will be furnished with open seats of plain design. At the east end will be a transept, measuring 69 feet by 25 feet: the gables here will project transversely from the nave, and will have a pair of couplet windows below a wheel window. This portion of the building will be supplied with vestries, and, for the present, will also be used as a school; but on some future occasion it will be converted into a north and south transept, to be respectively thrown open by cross arches into the nave. At the same time the nave will be extended eastward, and terminated by an octangular apsidal chancel, for which provision has been made by an eastern gable and moulded arch in the school wall. The chapel will contain 473 sittings; and, including the land, which has been purchased for ,600, will cost about £4,000, of which £2,500 have already been contributed. Messrs Hayley and Son of Manchester are the architects and the contractor is Mr Robinson of Hyde. [Builder 12 April 1862 Page 264]
NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL RUSHOLME - On Saturday the first stone of a new Wesleyan Chapel was laid near Dickenson Road, Rusholme by Mr John Fearnley of Southport. Like most modern chapels, the architecture will be Gothic, with a close external and internal resemblance to a church of the geometric decorated period. The nave will be divided into bays with open roof: the windows will be separate lights, with traceried heads, and a stone cross will surmount the highest gable. Messrs Hayley and Son are the architects. The cost will be £4,000, about half of which has been raised.[Manchester Courier Saturday 5 April 1862 Page]
OPENING OF A NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL IN RUSHOLME - A new Wesleyan chapel was opened in Dickenson Road. Rusholme, yesterday. The building has been erected in place of a small and inefficient structure that was built in the early days of Wesleyan Methodism in the district of Rusholme. The style of the new building is Gothic of the geometric decorated variety. It is divided into nave and transepts, and in the place of a chancel the architect has introduced a neat three lighted apse, provided with stained glass windows. The roof is high pitched, and the gable at the western end terminates with a decorated cross. The structure has been erected by Mr Joseph Robinson, jun., Hyde, from plans of Messrs Hayley and Son, Cross Street. The cost, including the land, which is free from chief rent, is over £4,000. [Manchester Guardian 4 December 1862 page 3]
MANCHESTER - A new Wesleyan Chapel has been opened in Dickenson-road, Rusholme. The style of the building is Gothic and it has been built to replace a smaller structure which was built many years ago. The chapel was erected by Mt Joseph Robinson junior of Hyde, from plans by Messrs Hayley and Son. The cost, including the land, which is free from chief rent, is over £4,000. In the body of the building there are sittings for 525 persons; there are 100 sittings in the gallery at the western end, and another 100 can be accommodated in the transept.[Builder 13 December 1862 Page 896]
RUSHOLME . - On Wednesday week a new Wesleyan chapel was opened in Dickenson road. Rusholme. The style of the new building is Gothic, It is divided into nave and transepts, and in the place of a chancel the architect has introduced a neat three lighted apse, provided with stained glass windows. The roof is high pitched, and the gable at the western end terminates with a decorated cross. The structure has been erected by Mr Joseph Robinson, jun., Hyde, from plans of Messrs Hayley and Son, Cross street, The cost, including the land, which is free from chief rent, is over £4,000. [Building News 12 December 1862 p461]
RUSHOLME. - Five stained windows, designed by Messrs Edmundson and Sons, of Manchester, have been presented by Mr. George Lomas, and placed in the chancel and each end of the transepts of the Wesleyan Chapel, Rusholme. [Building News 12 December 1862 page 500]
Trees and new houses occupy the site where the Wesleyan Chapel once stood on Dickenson Road. A green plaque on the house to the right tells us that the church was built in 1862 and was later used as a studio by Mancunian Films and the BBC. Early editions of Top of the Pops were broadcast from here.
Reference Manchester Guardian Saturday 7 December 1861 Page 7 (Contracts)
Reference Manchester Guardian Saturday 14 December 1861 Page 2 (Contracts)
Reference Manchester Courier 5 April 1862 – foundation stone
Reference Builder 12 April 1862 Page 264
Reference Manchester Guardian 4 December 1862 page 3 - opening
Reference Builder 13 December 1862 Page 896 - opening
Reference Building News 12 December 1862 p461 - opening
Reference Building News 12 December 1862 page 500 - stained glass
Reference Manchester Guardian 18 December 1862 page 2 - stained glass