Church of St George, Chester Road, Hulme facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St George |
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Church of St George, Chester Road, Hulme
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| Location | |
| Location | Chester Road, Hulme, Manchester |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Francis Goodwin |
| Groundbreaking | 1826 |
| Completed | 1828 |
| Construction cost | £15,000 |
The Church of St George is a historic building in Hulme, Manchester. It was built a long time ago, between 1826 and 1828. A famous architect named Francis Goodwin designed it in the Gothic Revival style. This style looks like old medieval churches. Later, in 1884, the church was fixed up by J. S. Crowther. Because it's so special, it became a Grade II* listed building in 1974. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
Contents
A Special Church Building
The Church of St George was a "Commissioners' church." This means it was one of many churches built after the Battle of Waterloo. The government provided money to build these churches. For St George's, they gave £15,000, which was a lot of money back then!
Who Designed It?
Francis Goodwin was chosen as the architect. He was a good choice because he had already designed many churches. He also designed the first Manchester Town Hall. A famous expert named Sir Nikolaus Pevsner thought Goodwin got his ideas from another church in London. Pevsner said the church "makes a lively and memorable picture."
What Does It Look Like?
The church has a long main hall called a nave with six sections. It has tall windows with three parts, designed in a style called "Perpendicular." At the west end, there is a tall tower. At the east end, there are two high, pointy parts called pinnacles. There are also entrances, or porches, at the northwest and southwest corners.
Inside the Church
When the building was listed as historic in 1974, experts looked at reports about the inside. They said it had galleries, which are like balconies. It also had arches in the "Perpendicular" style. There was a special wall monument for George Berkeley Molyneux, who died in 1841. This monument showed a soldier mourning next to a decorative urn.
Changes Over Time
After World War II, fewer people lived in the inner city. Also, new roads were built around the church, making it harder to reach. Because of these reasons, St George's Church closed in 1984.
Finding a New Purpose
People tried for a long time to find a new use for the building. They thought about making it a museum for Rolls-Royce cars or a Museum of Sport. There was even a plan to train people in building skills by working on the church. However, these plans didn't work out.
From Church to Homes
For about 20 years, people kept looking for a way to save the inside of the church. But it was difficult. Finally, between 2000 and 2002, the building was changed into flats, which are apartments. Because of this, you can no longer see the inside of the church as one big space. In 2015, the flat inside the church tower was for sale for £1 million!
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester
- Listed buildings in Manchester-M15
- List of churches in Greater Manchester
- List of works by Francis Goodwin
- List of works by J. S. Crowther
- List of churches dedicated to St. George
