Old Trafford - St John's Centre

The parish of St. John the Evangelist, Old Trafford was formed in 1902 from the mother parish of St Margaret’s in Whalley Range. This new parish was originally housed in an ‘Iron Church’ on a plot on the corner of Lindum Avenue and Ayres Road, whilst funds to build a new church were raised.

In 1906, architect Richard Bassnet Preston, the diocesan surveyor, submitted plans for the church, which would house 520 people.  Born in 1855 in Openshaw, Manchester, Preston set up his own architectural practice around 1880 at 16 Tib Street, specialising in church architecture. Upon his promotion to Diocesan Surveyor in the late 1880s he moved to offices to South King Street. Preston designed many churches throughout the North West, including St. Werburgh’s Church in Chorlton, and St. Martin’s in Stockport.

The plans for St. John’s, which we hold in our archive, show Preston’s clearly presented and detailed drawings with the church situated on the corner of Ayres Road and Henrietta Street (now St. John’s Road). The proposed street shown on the Block plan below is now called Lindum Avenue.

Preston’s comprehensive plans show drawings of the Church elevation with the prominent bell tower and ornate stonework on the arched windows. The church was built by contractors Messrs Macfarlane and Sons and locally sourced materials were used in its construction, such as Alderley Edge red sandstone and clay bricks from Aston Hall near Chester and from further afield, Cumbrian Tilberthwaite green slates and Welsh Ruabon bricks.

Foundation stones were laid in May 1907 by two of the benefactors, Miss Emily Price and Mr H. Worrall and the new church was eventually consecrated on 1^st July 1908 by the Lord Bishop of Manchester. St. John’s shines through as a community focused church, with some of the items within it having been donated by local parishioners. The font was a memorial gift from a Mr and Mrs H.G. Bradshaw, the stained glass windows were a memorial gift of the Rector and Mrs Ashton in memory of their daughter who died in January 1908, and the pulpit was a gift of the Sunday school children.

This community feel is also apparent in 1910, when a Christmas Bazaar was held on the 24^thto the 26^th November at Hulme Town Hall. The purpose of the Bazaar was to raise funds to liquidate the debt of £800 which remained on the Church building fund. The wonderfully detailed and designed programme from the event, which we hold in our archives, shows the plan for the event, many advertisements of local businesses and photographs of the Reverend W. H. Ashton and others.

With the Bazaar having been successful, the church continued to thrive and in 1926 the original temporary ‘iron church’ was taken down and a new Church Memorial Hall was constructed - the building we now call St. John's Centre came into being.  Throughout the 2^nd World War the church played another important role, safely housing homeless people in its expansive crypt and acting as an air raid shelter for local residents.

In 1958 the Church celebrated its Golden Jubilee and produced a Booklet to commemorate the occasion – copies of which we hold in our archives. It provides a wealth of history, images, advertisements and information on the parish.

These days the church and St. John’s Centre continue to play a vital role within the community, with the Centre hosting a multitude of activities and events and offering support and advice for the diverse community. St. John’s Church is a landmark in the area, with its colourfully decorated ‘peace tower’ promoting its presence.

Further Research

You can find more building plans and archival records using the Trafford Local Studies catalogue

Sources

Website – Architects of Greater Manchester.  https://manchestervictorianarchitects.org.uk/architects/richard-bassnet-preston

Christmas Bazaar brochure, 1910. Trafford Local Studies collection cat.ref. LHC/1168.

Golden Jubilee Book, 1958. Trafford Local Studies collection cat.ref. LHC/1168.

St. John’s Centre.  https://www.stjohnscentre.org

Massey, Samuel, 1976. A History of Stretford. William Morris Press Ltd.

St John's Old Trafford - A Church Near You