City church restored for its 300th anniversary

July saw the 300th anniversary of one of Manchester’s most iconic buildings: St Ann’s Church the centre of the city.

When St Ann’s was opened in 1712, Manchester was on the point of becoming the world’s first industrial city. It was to be the church of the wealthy ‘new Mancunians’: the non-Jacobite, non-high church Protestants.

During the 19th century a number of other churches were built in the city centre, but by the end of the century the population was moving into the new suburbs. St Ann’s remained as the only Anglican church at the centre of an almost unpopulated business district.

The 20th century saw Manchester’s business influence decline and the two world wars also took their toll on the city. Then, in 1996, an IRA bomb seriously damaged the city centre and the church. The transformation of the city since then puts St Ann’s today at the heart of one of Europe’s most vibrant cities.

Signs of deterioration
In March 2009, a small piece of stone fell from the tower and subsequent checks revealed that extensive repairs were urgently needed.

Work started in early June 2011, with completion timed to coincide with the tercentenary celebrations. Detailed inspection of the stonework was needed to ascertain the extent of the deterioration. On inspection, the scale of the damage was seen to be far worse than previously anticipated. Much of it was hidden by a previous attempt at repairs by pointing with cement, which retained rainwater and further damaged the stonework behind. An estimated 8oo new stones, ranging in size from 5cm² to 80cm², were needed to restore the building and hundreds more were redressed and pointed using lime mortar.
A team of skilled craftsmen from specialist restoration company Lambert Walker Conservation and Restoration, under the direction of architects Buttress Fuller Alsop Williams, used centuries-old methods to restore the tower to its original beauty. The 52-week project was costed at £370,000.

• Visit http://www.stannsmanchester.com/tower-restoration-and-conservation-works/ for further information.