Church Of St Nicholas

MANCHESTER

SJ89SE KINGSWAY, Burnage 698-1/9/555 Church of St Nicholas 10/10/80

II*

Church. 1931-32, by Welch, Cachemaille-Day and Lander; enlarged 1964. Buff brick in English bond (roof not visible). Nave and apsidal chancel in one with south aisle and tower, north transept, south-east vestry and porch. Continental Modernist style. A tall structure with semi-circular east end, a square tower in the centre with a semi-circular apse on its south side, a very shallow aisle to the east of this, and a low flat-roofed vestry and porch in the south-east angle; the walls generally smooth except for the aisle, which is divided into 3 bays by plain piers, the clerestory which has horizontal raised bands, and the top stages of the tower which has raised banding at the top of the apse and vertical raised banding to the square belfry stage. The windows are mostly tall narrow rectangles of varied size, with geometrical metal glazing bars: the bow of the tower has 3 small ones at ground floor and 3 larger ones near the top; the aisle has square windows to a low corridor at ground floor, and very tall windows above, with vertical banding over them; the nave has small clerestory windows, and west of the tower no other windows but these. The north side has fenestration matching that of the aisle, and a square projection opposite the tower (like a transept). The porch has a zig-zag front wall and funnelled entry with zig-zag sides. Short modern extension at west end, with large west window composed of heavy chamfered concrete mullions and transoms. INTERIOR not inspected, but is reported (by Pevsner) to have white walls, a flat ceiling, a raised Lady Chapel in the apse approached by 2 staircases flanking a brick-faced altar wall, and pulpit and lectern in the form of simple brick cubes. History: "a milestone in the history of modern church architecture in England" (Pevsner).

Listing NGR: SJ8584491472