British Muslim Heritage Centre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids British Muslim Heritage Centre
British Muslim Heritage Centre
Former names	GMB National College
General information
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
Address	College Road, Whalley Range, Manchester, M16 8BP
Design and construction
Architect	Irwin and Chester
Designations
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name: GMB National College
Designated:	2 October 1974
Reference #:	1197762

The British Muslim Heritage Centre is a special building in Whalley Range, Manchester, England. It used to be called the GMB National College. This building is very old and was built in a style called Gothic Revival, which looks a bit like old castles or churches. Because it's so important, it was made a Grade II* listed building on 3 October 1974. This means it's a protected building with special historical or architectural importance.

History of the Building

The building was first built between 1840 and 1843. It was designed by architects Irwin and Chester. It was originally an independent college for a group called the Congregationalists.

The Lancashire Independent College

The college was built in a new area that was just starting to develop. This area later became known as Whalley Range. The main goal of the Lancashire Independent College was to offer higher education. This was for people who were not allowed into the famous Universities of Oxford and Cambridge until 1871.

The college project included building a new campus. Staff from the Blackburn Academy moved here, and that academy then closed. Three important people helped start this college: George Hadfield, Thomas Raffles, and William Roby. William Roby was a minister in Manchester.

The Blackburn Academy had started from lessons given by William Roby to people who wanted to become Congregational ministers. When its leader, Joseph Fletcher, moved to London, the academy became the Lancashire Independent College and moved to Manchester. Much later, this college became known as the Northern Congregational College.

Building Design and Features

The design of the college looks a lot like the old colleges at Oxford or Cambridge universities. This was done on purpose. The area where it was built was quite marshy, meaning it was wet and soft. Workers had to dig out about 135 centimeters (4½ feet) of peat before they could start building safely.

A famous expert on buildings, Nikolaus Pevsner, praised the college's "long, very impressive, ashlar-faced, Gothic front." Ashlar-faced means it was built with finely cut stones. The ends of the building have a "tall, fanciful" tower. It also has a special two-story Gothic window called an oriel.

Inside, the main entrance and assembly halls were changed by Alfred Waterhouse between 1876 and 1880. Pevsner thought these changes were "disappointing." However, he found the rooms on the main floor, called the piano nobile, to be "very charming." These rooms have lovely Gothic fireplaces, ceilings, and door frames, all designed differently.

Later Uses of the Building

During World War II, the college building was used to help people. It housed academics, who are university teachers and researchers, who had to leave their homes. Many of them came from Czecho-Slovakia.

The college continued to use the building until 1985. At that time, it joined with another college, the Northern Baptist College. They both moved to a new location called Luther King House.

After the college moved out, the building became the national college for the GMB trade union. A trade union is a group that helps workers. The GMB used the building to train many people who negotiate for workers' rights. However, the GMB sold the college in 2004 because it was too expensive to keep up.

After a short time of not knowing what would happen to it, the building was bought by the British Muslim Heritage Centre. Their goal was for the building to "serve as a focus for Muslim heritage and identity in Britain." This means it would be a place to celebrate and learn about Muslim history and culture in the UK.

In January 2013 and 2014, the British Muslim Heritage Centre was nominated for an award. It was considered for the Arts and Culture Awareness award at the British Muslim Awards.

Nasar Mahmood is currently one of the people who helps manage the centre. He received a special award called an OBE in 2019 for his work.

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester
• Listed buildings in Manchester-M16