Didsbury Methodist Church Of St Paul

MANCHESTER

SJ8490 WILMSLOW ROAD, Didsbury 698-1/25/670 (East side) 11/11/87 Didsbury Methodist Church of St Paul

GV II

Methodist church. 1875, by E.T.Barry and Sons. Coursed squared sandstone rubble, steeply pitched roof of graduated green slates. Nave with transepts, chancel with north vestry and south organ house, south-west steeple. Gothic style. The 3-stage tower has diagonal buttresses, a 2-centred arched west doorway with 2 orders of moulding including foliated bands and shafts with foliated caps, coupled lancets to the 2nd stage, coupled belfry lancets with shafts and hoodmoulds with figured stops, a foliated cornice with pseudo-gargoyles at the corners, square corner pinnacles with shafts, and a broach spire with lucarnes. The 3-bay nave has stepped triple lancets rising into gablets, and a traceried 5-light west window; the buttressed aisles have arcaded 5-light windows, and the north aisle has a gabled porch at the west end, with 2-centred arched doorway and steeply-pitched roof. The transepts have angle-buttresses and corner pinnacles like those of the tower, 3-light windows in the gables and coupled lancets in the sides; and the chancel has a traceried 3-light east window with figured stops to the hoodmould. Most windows have geometrical coloured glazing. Interior: aisle arcades of polished granite columns with carved capitals and 2-centred arches; barrel roof to nave, on corbelled columns; wide crossing with stout corbelled shafts to the arches; wide chancel arch, and 3-bay chancel arcades (blank arches on north side, organ on south side) with heavily-carved 2-centred arches; encaustic tiled floors; painted panelled barrel roof to chancel; stone pulpit on granite shafts; marble reredos; carving throughout includes foliage, fruit, animals and birds; several wall monuments to "tutors of this college" (etc). History: associated with former Wesleyan Theological College to south (now Manchester Polytechnic School of Education, q.v.).

Listing NGR: SJ8478590704