Roman Catholic Church of St Wilfrid, Gothic Catholic church in Hulme, England
St Wilfrid's is a red brick Gothic church in Hulme, Manchester, built with English bond masonry and dressed with pale stone. The interior contains a nave and side aisles separated by tall arches on octagonal columns, with small narrow windows along the upper walls and a statue of the Virgin Mary positioned near the main arch at the eastern end.
Augustus Welby Pugin, a prominent architect of the Gothic Revival movement, designed this church which opened in 1842. It was built to serve the Irish population who had arrived in Manchester to work in its expanding industries and needed a place of worship.
The building served as a spiritual center for Manchester's Irish Catholic community when they arrived to work in the growing industrial city. Its layout and decorations still reflect its original religious purpose, even though it now functions as office spaces.
The building no longer functions as a church but has been converted into office spaces accessible by stairs or an elevator. Visitors should note that the interior is now configured for business use and access depends on the opening hours of the business center.
The building has an incomplete northwest tower that was never finished, creating an intriguing architectural feature that stands out from typical church designs. The tower's entrance doorway is decorated with intricate stone carving that shows detailed craftsmanship despite the structure remaining unfinished.
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