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Long Street Methodist Church was
known as the Wesleyan Chapel and School when it first opened in
1901. The buildings were
designed in 1897 and built between 1899 and 1901. The site
was previously occupied by several cottages, these were
demolished and the land was purchased for £830.
The church and
ancillary buildings were designed by the internationally renowned
architect
Edgar Wood. It is the largest of the churches
designed by him. Wood was a renowned |
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beam and scissor
braced roof.
The church has a
stone pulpit with a sandstone angel, the font
has a bronze figure by Stirling Lee.
Throughout the buildings there is rose motif, it
can be seen on pulpit decorations and interior
stained glass.
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The future of Long Street Methodist Church as a
community and as a structure has been under threat for
many years, the costs of maintaining the
structure and coupled frequent vandalism are
astounding.
As part of the the Middleton Regeneration, the
'Middleton Spatial Masterplan' states that there
is an aspiration for a new Edgar Wood Centre in
the Long Street Methodist Church. This
project is being explored, according to the 'Masterplan',
in conjunction with the Heritage Trust for the
North West. |
It
is a sign of our times that buildings such as this, with
so much to give to the community and infused with so
much collective memory, can disappear from our view.
The
Friends of Long Street Methodist Church has been set up
to counteract this.
Your support is needed.
Survival will ensure that the church remains a precious
gem in the architectural heritage of Middleton and a
unique icon in the history of international
architecture. |
