St Luke's Church was an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

in the

Cheetham Cheetham may refer to: People * Cheetham (surname) Places * Cheetham and Altona Important Bird Area, Melbourne, Australia * Cheetham Close, a megalith and scheduled ancient monument located in Lancashire, very close to the boundary with Greater ...

district of

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, England. The structure is now mostly

derelict Derelict may refer to: Law * Derelict, property that has been abandoned or deserted ** Derelict (maritime), property which has been abandoned and deserted at sea without any hope of recovery Arts, entertainment, and media Music * "Dead Man's Ch ...

and is currently owned by the

Heritage Trust for the North West Heritage Trust for the North West / Heritage Trust North West is a registered Building Preservation Trust, established in 1978 as a charity and company. Formerly known as the ''Lancashire Heritage Trust'', it has rescued and restored many buil ...

. The Church of St Luke was a

Commissioners' church A Commissioners' church, also known as a Waterloo church and Million Act church, is an Anglicanism, Anglican church in England or Wales built with money voted by Parliament of the United Kingdom, Parliament as a result of the (58 Geo. 3. ...

, situated on the corner of

Cheetham Hill Cheetham is an inner-city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England, which in 2011 had a population of 22,562. It lies on the west bank of the River Irk, north of Manchester city centre, close to the boundary with Salford, bounded by Cru ...

Road and Smedley Lane. The building was completed in 1839, using

ashlar Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...

, to a

Perpendicular Gothic Perpendicular Gothic (also Perpendicular, Rectilinear, or Third Pointed) architecture was the third and final style of English Gothic architecture developed in the Kingdom of England during the Late Middle Ages, typified by large windows, four-ce ...

design by T. W. Atkinson. Construction had commenced in 1836. A wealthy local resident and enthusiastic amateur musician, J. W. Fraser, commissioned William Hill to design and install a three-manual

church organ Carol Williams performing at the West_Point_Cadet_Chapel.html" ;"title="United States Military Academy West Point Cadet Chapel">United States Military Academy West Point Cadet Chapel. In music, the organ is a keyboard instrument of one or mo ...

in the German System style. This was completed in 1840.

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonie ...

gave a recital using this instrument in April 1847. Although now mostly derelict, the tower and west end of the aisles and

vestry A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government of a parish in England, Wales and some English colony, English colonies. At their height, the vestries were the only form of local government in many places and spen ...

survive and are classified as a

Grade II listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

. In the grounds of the ruined church also lies a large crypt supported by pillars and archways, that still contains remnants of pottery and headstones. Eerie photos of the crypt have appeared online, attracting attention to this historic site. The church was considered the best early Gothic Revival church in Manchester. The large churchyard was once a fashionable burial site. The church was a stronghold of

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

and became notorious when the rector, Hugh Stowell, was accused of libel in 1840.

References

External links

"Church Of St Luke Cheetham Hill"
Tripadvisor
"Friends of St. Luke's Church, Cheetham Hill"
Facebook
"Ruins of Church of St Luke Listed Building Entry"
Historic England
"St Luke: Cheetham and Cheetham Hill Church Registers"
Manchester City Council *{{cite web , url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/8b00aac1-f2ce-4126-9c6c-1b57c0714551 , publisher=National Archives , title=St Luke's, Cheetham - Records held
"St Luke's Churchyard"
Find a Grave 1839 establishments in England Disestablishments in England Former churches in Greater Manchester Churches completed in 1839

19th-century Church of England church buildings Gothic Revival church buildings in England Gothic Revival architecture in Greater Manchester Commissioners' church buildings Grade II listed buildings in Manchester __FORCETOC__

See also

References

External links