News

It is 150 years since the Franciscans began building their Friary and Church here in Gorton, decorated inside and out with angels to protect the building and the people inside.
Our Angels Appeal will continue the restoration and protection of The Monastery, for the benefit of future generations.

Our charitable trust was formed in 1996, to save the then derelict buildings and give them a new purpose for the future.

Our Angels Appeal will help us to finish the project and includes the restoration and conservation of the Lady Altar, the High Altar and Reredos behind it, plus many of the stencils, tiles and paint schemes that are in danger of being lost forever.

Whoever you are, whatever you do, however much or little you can give, please make a donation and make a difference. Call 0161 223 3211 or contact Clare Mount, Trust Co-ordinator on clare.mount@themonastery.co.uk to find out more.

• We need to raise another £1million as matched funding so that the Heritage Lottery Fund will support us with another £2million grant to finish the Monastery.
• If 100,000 visitors to the Monastery give £10 we will raise the £1million we need.
• We only need 10,000 Angels generously donating £100 or we only need 100 Business Angel Sponsors giving £10,000.

Please Be An Angel and help us to finish the Monastery. Your generous donation will help us to finish the restoration and provide permanent educational, community and visitor facilities to replace the marquee so we can be open every day for everyone!
All profits from events held at the Monastery are used towards the upkeep of the buildings and to support our charitable projects in the local community.

For the ways that you can help with the restoration and protection of The Monastery, please click More Info

Paul Griffiths DL, (59) chairman of the Gorton Monastery Trust has been appointed by Her Majesty the Queen as the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester.

Paul, who has been a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, supporting the Lord Lieutenant of the County for nine years, was installed into the oldest secular office under the Crown stretching back over 1,000 years, during a special ceremony in the presence of Warren Smith KStJ JP, The Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester; Cllr Elaine Boyes, The Lord Mayor of Manchester; His Honour Judge Andrew Gilbart QC, The Honorary Recorder for Manchester and The Lord Shuttleworth KCVO, Chairman of the Council of the Duchy of Lancaster and over 180 specially invited guests at The Monastery Manchester today.

TO COMPLETE RESTORATION AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS

Gorton Monastery in east Manchester has received initial support* from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) including development funding of a quarter of a million pounds (£222,600).
The HLF’s support will kick-start the next phase of work which will enable essential repairs and conservation to the deteriorating stonework, original Pugin stencils, marouflage paint schemes and original tiled floors. It will also allow vital stabilisation and repair to the altar areas.

AT NATIONAL INDUSTRY AWARDS

The Monastery Manchester scooped the hat trick at the Meeting and Incentive Travel Industry (M&IT) Awards in London last night (19 March 2013), making it the most successful venue at this year’s awards.

In the presence of more than 1,000 industry professionals, the grade II* listed building won Gold for Best UK Unusual Venue, retaining the title and also was awarded a Silver in the Best Value for Money Conference Venue and Best Conference and Banqueting Staff categories.

The Heritage Alliance has awarded the title of Heritage Alliance Hero 2012 to Paul Griffiths (59), Chairman of the Monastery of St Francis and Gorton Trust in Manchester.  The presentation of the award was made today (Thursday 6 December) in London by the Chairman of The Heritage Alliance, Loyd Grossman and Hon. Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture, Communication and the Creative Industries.

The Monastery, Manchester has attracted a chef with Michelin star experience to head up the kitchen at the UK’s best unusual venue*. Graham Campbell, aged 29, was the youngest chef in Scotland to gain at Michelin star at the age of 25 in 2008, when he was at Ballachulish Country House Hotel in Glencoe, Scotland.

The Monastery of St Francis & Gorton Trust and its trading subsidiary The Monastery, Manchester, reports a significant rise in profit for 2011.

Despite difficult market conditions and increased competition from other event venues in the region, profits for the group were considerably up, at almost £90k for 2011, compared to a shortfall of £76k in 2010. Although sales of £1.4m were the same as in 2010, significant progress has been made in strengthening the balance sheet and improving liquidity.

After a 17 year exile, the Saints have come marching home. The twelve irreplaceable Saints of Gorton Monastery were finally reinstated in their original home in May 2012, after a precarious journey around the country that almost saw them lost forever. In 1994, the unique collection of 12 life-sized statues of Franciscan Saints were discovered listed for sale in a Sotheby’s auction catalogue. They had been removed from Gorton Monastery, a magnificent church designed by the famous architect Edward Pugin. Sadly, the church - a listed building - had closed in 1989 and stood empty and vandalised as its contents were stripped. At last, the fully restored Saints are back. This is their story.

To celebrate this momentous milestone in the Monastery's history, Monastery Publications has produced this account detailing this fascinating story.

Available online via the Publications and Shop page on this site, or by telephone, 0161 223 3211, priced at £4.99 (plus £1.25 p&p).

After more than 16 years in storage, and eight months being carefully restored, the 12 Monastery saints’ statues will be hoisted 40 ft up back onto their plinths in the Great Nave at Gorton Monastery today.

and the long awaited Book Launch of BEGGARS & BUILDERS by the late TONY HURLEY

The Trustees of the Monastery of St Francis & Gorton Trust would like to invite you to join us for the launch of MONASTERY PUBLICATIONS and our HISTORICAL REPRINT SERIES. Plus the Book Launch of BEGGARS & BUILDERS, the personal story of Gorton Monastery by the late TONY HURLEY.

Meet the Editors  :  Refreshments Available  :  Everyone Welcome

The March/April issue of the industry-leading Brides Magazine listed The Monastery among its top 100 wedding venues around the UK. The Grade II* listed Monastery was featured alongside just two other Manchester venues, demonstrating its position as one of the very best venues in the city and indeed in the country, for a spectacular big day.

Chief Executive Elaine Griffiths said: “We know how popular The Monastery has become as bookings for weddings have increased many-fold each year, since we gained our license in 2009. It is such a romantic and stunning place, with a magical atmosphere, making it perfect for the most memorable day spent with family and friends. We’re delighted to have been featured in this list, and look forward to welcoming many more Manchester couples to enjoy a day to remember forever here.”

The Monastery, Manchester won a Gold Award in the Best UK Unusual Venue category at the 2012 Meetings & Incentive Travel Industry Awards, held in London.

As the oldest established awards programme in the meetings industry, to win Gold is a true recognition and reward of excellence, and it follows the Silver Award won by the landmark Grade II* listed Monastery venue  in 2011.

See the heritage restoration of the former church and friary. Soak up the atmosphere of Pugin’s architectural masterpiece. Walk the cloisters and enjoy the friary gardens. Delicious refreshments, home baked cakes and cream teas available all afternoon in the Friars Pantry. Enjoy family activities, inspirational talks and concerts. Everyone Welcome.

Entry is free, except on atOne Sundays (first Sunday of every month)  we are open to the public most Sundays from 12:00 until 4:00pm, unless a special event is taking place in the Great Nave - please see What's On and Sunday Diary for a full list.

15 years ago The Monastery seemed beyond repair. Anyone who saw it in ruins would not have believed that The Trust, set up to rescue and restore the buildings, could possibly succeed. Today the buildings resonate with life again and The Monastery’s majestic beauty impresses and inspires all who enter.

Help to finish what The Trust started in 1996, completing the restoration of The Monastery in its 150th Anniversary year. Please give whatever you can today and join us at one of our fund-raising events to be held this year.

Learn about the rise, decline and fall of the Monastery and its magnificent restoration. Get a unique and fascinating insight in to the life and works of those extraordinary Friars who created a masterpiece of worldwide architectural and religious significance.

The Saints have come marching back in to the world-famous Gorton Monastery after a 17-year campaign. The 12 six-foot tall figures were removed in the early 1990s by a developer looking to turn the building into flats. They were installed when the monastery was built and spent 133 years looking down on the aisles from plinths. But they were spotted on an auction list at Sotheby’s in 1994 by local historian Janet Wallwork. Manchester council stepped in to buy the historic figures for £25,000 after Gorton MP Gerald Kaufman negotiated their withdrawal from the auction.

After a short period on display at Manchester Town Hall, the works have been kept in storage in the city centre ever since. But now the renovated monastery has finally brought them home. Ms Wallwork said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to see them back after all this time.”

The statues, which are of the 12 Franciscan saints, will be on public show on special viewing days in the coming months as bosses raise funds to have the statues renovated and
reinstalled on 30ft high plinths in the monastery. The ‘Save a Saint’ appeal to raise the necessary £150,000 marks the monastery's 150th anniversary celebrations.

Monastery chief executive Elaine Griffiths said: “They're part of the fabric not only of the Monastery but of the community as well and this is truly a historic day.”

The Saints are marching back in to a Manchester monastery after a successful 16-year fight for their return. The 12, six-foot tall statues were being reinstalled at Gorton Monastery today, having been removed in the early 1990s by a developer who wanted to turn the building into flats.

In 1994, the statues mysteriously appeared in an auction at Sotheby's, sparking an investigation into their ownership and how they had appeared on the open market. Manchester council stepped in to purchase the statues for £25,000 after Gorton MP Gerald Kaufman negotiated their withdrawal from the auction. The works have been kept safe in storage ever since. Councillor Jim Battle, deputy leader of the council, said: "Gorton Monastery is one of the gems of east Manchester and is recognised as a precious World Heritage Site.

“The restoration project is an excellent example of preserving our city's heritage for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. I'm pleased the council is able to help in saving the 12 priceless statues that are now being restored to their rightful place.”

The Saints, original statues of the 12 Franciscan saints, were being delicately transported by removals company Speedy Services Ltd free of charge. The Gorton Monastery Trust is now raising funds through its 'Save a Saint' appeal to restore the statues to their former glory. The campaign coincides with the monastery's 150th anniversary celebrations and chief executive Elaine Griffiths believes the return of the Saints is the perfect birthday present for the church.

She said: “We are thrilled that after so many years of waiting these wonderful statues are finally coming home to be restored. “We had hoped to bring them back in our 150th Anniversary year, and are very grateful to Speedy for helping us to achieve that. “With the generous support of the public we are hoping we can raise enough funds to restore them.”

http://menmedia.co.uk/northeastmanchesteradvertiser/news/s/1458291_saints-march-back-in-after-20-years

Re:Verb are an incredibly talented music collective of young people from RECLAIM, lead by Tosin and Tamieka. Ruth arranged a master class with soul musicians David McAlmont and Guy Davies at Gorton Monastery where they wrote lyrics and sang the blues.

The results were simply outstanding. Their ‘Breaking Boundaries’ E.P. which will be released in June 2011.

www.reclaimproject.org.uk

Singers travelled from all across the country for the event to launch the monastery’s 150th anniversary appeal. The aims to raise enough cash to restore 12 stone statues to their former glory and place them back on show in the monastery.

Around 300 people gathered for the event at the Gorton Lane venue on Easter Sunday.

The Sing Live Choir, which has just returned from a tour of Tuscany, Italy, performed 14 songs including works by Mozart and John Rutter.

Click on More Info to see a short video of their performance

The Monastery selected as best in North West and wins prestigious national industry award

The Monastery, Manchester achieved a Silver Award in the Best UK Unusual Venue category at the 2011 Meetings & Incentive Travel Industry Awards.

The Trustees, team, friends and supporters of the Monastery are sad to report that Tony Hurley passed away peacefully yesterday, Friday 28th January in St Ann’s Hospice at the age of 57, after a short battle with cancer.

Tony worked at the Monastery for many years and was part of the original team who led the campaign to save the Monastery. In recent years Tony’s passion for Franciscan History was shared through his tours and talks as our inspirational Heritage and Tour Director. A wonderful compassionate man who will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Royal Praise For Gorton Monastery

HRH The Prince of Wales recently attended a Civic Dinner with 400 Businesses and Community leaders as part of his National tour to launch his START sustainability initiative.

THE restoration of Gorton Monastery, the stunning 19th Century former friary in east Manchester, has been named the top North West building project at the property sector's annual awards.