TRINITY CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

SWINTON HALL ROAD (Formally Jane Lane)

SWINTON, MANCHESTER. UK

Trinity Congregational Church emerged from a previous chapel built in Pendlebury in 1821. This independent chapel erected was the first small chapel called Bethel and the congregation at the time were known as ‘Independents’. The chapel opened on the 14th June 1821 and the congregation was so large that it was necessary to conduct the service in a nearby field. It was clear that a larger chapel was needed and in 1825 the ‘Independents’ now known as Congregationalist opened a larger place of worship, known locally as ‘Chapel-in-th-Gardens’. The chapel was said to be so beautiful set amongst the gardens and was reported to be a very peaceful and tranquil place to worship hence the name given by locals, ‘Chapel-in-th-Gardens’. It was built in Chapel Street, Pendlebury behind the Royal British Legion that stands on Bolton Road today.

Chapel-in-the-Gardens

Drawing by Fred Mather 1949 Courtesy of Doris Mather

MINISTERS FOR BETHEL CHAPEL ‘CHAPEL-IN-THE-GARDENS’

Below is a copy from the 1925 centenary programme showing the agreement drawn out for the new Trinity Congregational Church in 1821.

Trinity Congregational Church, Swinton.

The first mention of the word ‘Trinity’ can be found in the Eccles & Patricroft Journal 24th July 1880 where it describes the proposed new place of worship to be sited on the corner of Jane lane and the new Pendlebury Road. Architect J.B. Pritchett RIBA of Darlington was commissioned to work on the new church, Trinity Congregational, on Jane Lane in Swinton.

The congregation now worshipping in the Congregational Chapel, Pendlebury under the esteemed pastorate of the Rev. H.F. Walker are about to build a new place of worship.

The church is to be built in the “Early Decorative” style of gothic architecture and will comprise of a 62ft x 25ft nave with aisles (each) 52ft x 10ft.and choir 16ft x 14ft. There is to be a spacious vestibule at the front with staircases at each side and vestries behind the church at each side of the choir. A tower, with a spire 100ft high is to stand at the corner of the street is also included within the design but the superstructure is left to “see how the money comes in”. A spire in such locality will be a beautiful feature, giving a character to the neighbourhood.  

There will be ample room left behind the church for the schools. The building is to be erected of hammer dressed wall stone with dressings of chiselled ashlars. The roofs to be covered with Lancashire or dark Westmoreland slates. Internally all the joiners work is to be of pitched pine

The architect is James P. Pritchett RIBA of Darlington , an architect well known by his successful churches for different religious bodies in various parts of the country. The builder is William Brown of Park Works, Trafford Road, Salford, and the cost of the building around £2,850-00 with a further £150 cost to carry out necessary alterations to the old chapel at Pendlebury.

Extracts from Eccles & Patricroft Journal 24th July 1880 Courtesy of Salford Local History Library.

The spire never went ahead, it is thought that any surplus monies went towards the cost of building the school rooms that opened in 1899. When the church was finally built it was without any debt and all cost had been paid ready for the opening ceremony.

The Church held its first service on 13th June 1882 and had several inaugural services to mark its place in history.

The cost of the church was around £2,850-00 and it opened for worship on the 13th June 1882. The church had a capacity for 430 people and its first Minister was the Rev H.F. Walker who served the church for two years.

During the nineteen twenties and thirties I’m given to understand that the church was supported by a number of ‘wealthy’ families such as the Yates family who were part of the Mathews & Yates Cyclone works on Boundary Road, other names involved helping the church were the Crompton Family, the Martin’s family and coal merchants Andrew Knowles.

During 1950’s and 1960’s the church had a successful cub & scout troop called 2nd Swinton (Trinity) and a thriving youth club where over 200 teenagers gathered on a Friday night.

The writing was on the wall for Trinity when a massive ‘slum clearance’ programme was underway, making way for a new shopping centre and car park. This coupled with rising maintenance cost for a new gas boiler and falling congregation meant that the church was no longer viable and in 1965 a decision was made to close its doors.

The last service was held on the 27th March 1966 ending over 145 years of congregational worship connected with the church. Many of the artefacts went to the Lancashire Congregational Union, the large pipe organ was donated to a Roman Catholic Church in Clayton and the Communion Table & Chairs went to Worsley Road Congregational Church, Swinton and are still in use to this day. (now Worsley Road United Reformed Church.)

Trinity being demolished in 1973.

Photograph Courtesy of Salford Local History Library.

The site where Trinity stood - as it looks today.

For church records on birth, marriages and deaths contact the Salford Local History Library at Peel Park, Salford. If you have any information on this church and would like to share then please contact the writer using the Email link button at the top of the page.

Copyright: David Roughley 2010

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