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The High Altar of Gorton Monastery (Church of St Francis, Manchester)

Design and Original Construction (1860s–1885)

The former Church of St Francis (Gorton Monastery) is a High Victorian Gothic masterpiece designed by Edward Welby Pugin in the 1860s. The church’s crowning feature is its high altar and towering reredos at the north end of the nave, which became the focal point of the interior. Notably, the high altar was not completed until over a decade after the church’s 1872 opening. In 1883–85 a new sanctuary and high altar were constructed, designed by Pugin’s half-brother Peter Paul Pugin (of the firm Pugin & Pugin). The high altar and its reredos were consecrated in 1885 and were acclaimed as “one of the largest in England” at that time. Rising to over 40 feet (12 m) in height, the reredos forms an elaborate Gothic screen behind the altar.


Materials and craftsmanship 

The altar ensemble was richly constructed with a polychrome array of materials. The main altar mensa (table slab) is carved from pure white Italian marble, supported by eight polished “Californian marble” columns. The broad reredos behind the altar is structured in tiers: its base is Irish marble, above which runs a band of carved alabaster and a moulded string-course of black marble. 

The reredos is divided into bays with panels of inlaid marble and open Gothic tracery, bristling with crocketed gables and finials in the 13th-century Gothic style. Gilded inscriptions (such as “Sanctus”) and carved Eucharistic symbols adorn the lower panels. Sculpted figures of saints and angels populate the structure: for example, canopied niches contain statues of St. Anthony, St. Francis, St. Clare, St. Dominic, St. Bonaventure, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, and other Franciscan patrons, each statue sheltered under delicate traceried canopy work. 

A central arched canopy (tabernacle throne) rises above the altar, supported by marble shafts and flanked by airy open-work flying buttresses – a miniature echo of a medieval cathedral façade. The tabernacle itself was fashioned from alabaster with a brass door, surmounted by a pelican symbol and an alabaster cross. Every element was executed with fine detail: the entire altar and reredos were hand-carved on site. Franciscan Brother, Patrick Dalton, (the friary’s clerk of works) supervised the work, and the decorative carving was carried out by the renowned ecclesiastical sculptor Mr. Boulton of Cheltenham. 

The sumptuous Gothic design, with its combination of stone, marble, alabaster, and gilded metal, exemplified the Pugin family’s high church design ideals. It created a dramatic visual focus for worship; a true “high altar” in both scale and intent.


Layout and stylistic influences

Unusually, Gorton’s church is aligned north–south due to the urban site, placing the high altar at the north end rather than true east. This allowed Edward Pugin’s design to incorporate a grand entrance at the south end and a clear, uninterrupted view straight down the nave to the high altar as one entered – a liturgical trend of the 1860s that Pugin favored. High in the chancel roof, large dormer windows were positioned to flood sunlight onto the high altar, theatrically illuminating the reredos and its statues. This play of light was intentional, dramatizing the ornate altar as the spiritual centerpiece of the space. 

The overall style of the altar is Gothic Revival in the late-Decorated mode – richly textured with tracery, niches, pinnacles and polychrome elements – reflecting the influence of medieval English and continental Gothic altarpieces. Contemporary descriptions from 1885 praise the high altar’s lavish detail, calling it “very elaborate in decoration”. 

With its lofty spired canopy and multitude of sculpted saints and angels, the altar reredos at Gorton was a showpiece of Catholic revival art, meant to inspire awe. In essence, Peter Paul Pugin’s high altar translated the Pugin family’s Gothic ideals into one of Victorian England’s most impressive church furnishings.


Decline, Losses and Restoration Challenges (1989–2000s)

By the late 20th century, the fate of this magnificent altar took a tragic turn. The Church of St Francis was closed in 1989 amid parish consolidation and was sold to developers. The building was subsequently stripped of its interior fittings – the oak doors, pews, organ and many statues were removed for salvage. Left unmaintained, the abandoned “Gorton Monastery” suffered severe deterioration. Water ingress and vandalism caused extensive damage to the delicate painted plaster and stonework of the altars and walls. Worse, thieves and looters targeted the ornamentation: “vandals moved in, [and] thieves stole pieces of the altar, designed by Paul Pugin,” reported The Guardian

The once-grand high altar was effectively ransacked, with many of its statuettes, carved details, and marble elements smashed or pilfered in the 1990s. By the time preservationists intervened, only remnants of the structure survived in situ. One restoration account noted that “all that remains [of the high altar] are the stone steps and the brick base,” with much of the reredos collapsed or missing beyond the central section. 

These losses underscored the monumental challenge facing any restoration: the high altar had to be rescued from the edge of ruin. In 1996 a local volunteer team formed the Monastery of St Francis & Gorton Trust to save the building. Thanks to emergency stabilization and fundraising (aided by the World Monuments Fund, which listed Gorton Monastery among the world’s 100 most endangered sites), a major heritage-led restoration project began in the early 2000s. The initial phase focused on making the derelict structure safe and usable. By 2007, the Grade II* listed monastery was reopened as a public venue after a £6 million renovation. However, due to limited funds, many interior furnishings were not fully restored at that stage – and this included the high altar and reredos. Conservation architects saved and stabilized the remaining portions of the altar structures (preventing further collapse), but a full aesthetic restoration was deferred. 

In practice, the approach was one of “honest repair” – the altar and reredos were left with visible scars of the neglect and lovingly conserved in their fragile state, rather than being completely rebuilt anew. For example, early decorative paint flakes on the wall behind were conserved in situ by carefully re-adhering plaster fragments, and damaged stone elements were patched to be structurally sound but not overly refurbished. By 2007, visitors could once again admire the high altar’s form in the Monastery’s apse, but it stood as a ruined grandeur, awaiting more thorough restoration.


Restoration in the 21st Century (2007–present)

Ongoing conservation efforts in the 2010s have gradually returned attention to the high altar, with the benefit of new funding and research. In 2013, the Monastery Trust secured a major Heritage Lottery Fund grant to undertake the “next phase” of restoration, explicitly including vital stabilization and repair of the altar areas. 

Trust officials acknowledged that the ornate altars had “been deteriorating badly” and that the initial 2007 rescue “never had enough money… to repair the altar” fully. The 2013–2015 project brought skilled craftspeople back on site to conserve stonework, original Pugin stencil paintings, and other artistic elements that were at risk. Crucially, this phase enabled professional attention to the high altar’s reredos: crumbling sections were consolidated, loose pieces reattached, and missing structural supports repaired. The Monastery’s founders stressed that without this intervention, “many of the original works of art [in the church]” – the high altar foremost among them – could have been “lost forever”. 

A fortunate development for the altar’s restoration was the discovery of original design drawings by Peter Paul Pugin, which provided accurate guidance for reconstruction. Using these plans and historic photographs, the Trust has envisioned a faithful restoration of the high altar’s missing details. Conservation experts noted that although the “marble and Caen limestone reredos was… damaged,” the majority remained intact, making restoration feasible. 

The carved saints and angels that had been lost from the reredos were identified in archives, and some sculptural elements (like the 12 large limestone statues of Franciscan saints that once lined the nave) were actually recovered and returned. (Those statues had been removed and sold in the 1990s, but were found listed as “garden ornaments” in an auction; they were rescued, stored, and after 16 years finally restored to their plinths in 2012.) This momentum highlighted the high altar’s significance and galvanized fundraising for its full restoration. According to the Monastery Trust, about £400,000 would be required “to return the French limestone altar to its former glory.”

 As of the mid-2010s, substantial work has been done: the high altar’s structure is stabilised and cleaned, with its surviving Gothic details preserved, and protective measures in place to prevent further decay. By 2016, the monastery’s major capital works (including a new visitor wing) were completed, marking the end of its 20-year rescue journey. 

Today, the high altar of Gorton Monastery stands once more as a striking historic centrepiece in the Great Nave. While it still bears some gentle marks of its turbulent history, the altar’s soaring canopies, clustered shafts, and delicate carvings have been safeguarded for future generations. Ongoing plans aim to fully restore the missing carvings and polychrome finishes when funds allow, using Pugin’s original design as a blueprint. 

Even in its partially-restored state, the lofty reredos continues to inspire visitors with its Gothic grandeur – catching daylight from the clerestory and serving as a tangible symbol of the building’s resurrection from dereliction. In sum, the high altar of St Francis, Gorton, with its rich architectural detail and dramatic restoration story, remains a focal point of both the church’s 19th-century artistry and its 21st-century conservation efforts.


Appendix: Additional Context and Commentary

Beyond its architectural record, the Gorton Monastery high altar has been the subject of much admiration from visitors and media, underscoring its aesthetic and cultural significance. The Monastery’s breathtaking design has earned it comparisons to the world’s great monuments – for instance, “Manchester’s answer to the Taj Mahal,” as the Monastery Trust’s chairman quipped when describing the spectacular interior. The combination of lofty space and intricate altar backdrop creates a stunning venue. Modern tour guides highlight “the dramatic interior” of Gorton, noting in particular how its “cathedral high altar” and stained glass provide a picture-perfect backdrop for events and photography. 

Visitors frequently remark on the atmosphere and visual impact of the high altar. One TripAdvisor reviewer, for example, praised “the nave and high altar [as] beautifully lit,” referring to the way sunlight and illumination highlight the altar’s features. Wedding parties and photographers also sing the Monastery’s praises; the Gothic arches and “intricately decorated altar” are often cited as unforgettable elements of the venue’s charm, framing wedding ceremonies with a regal, almost fairy-tale grandeur

Such commentary attests that the high altar – even after years of hardship – has retained its ability to inspire awe. Where once it was the devotional heart of a thriving church, it now also serves as a cultural and artistic icon. The reverence it commands is summed up by the successful restoration itself: a local community’s determination to save a beautiful piece of Manchester’s local history, so that the ornate high altar and its sacred art continue to elevate and enchant all who experience Gorton Monastery’s space.


Sources

en.wikipedia

genuki.org

manchest…tects.org

themonastery.co

archiseek

mousehou…wordpress

theguardian

austinsmithlord

heritagefund.org

architectsjournal.co

blueandgreentomorrow

manchest…eingtours

cassandralane.co

historicengland.org

Help us to restore organ music to the Monastery

An 8-minute read

“There’s nothing as soothing to the soul,
than the tones of an organ of old.
By whispering a prayer with celestial sound,
we catch a glimpse of heaven around.”

We’re fundraising for the next important chapter in the restoration of our much-loved heritage site.

The Church of St Francis has been lovingly (and painstakingly) restored. It has taken twenty-five years of fundraising and conservation to reinstate the fallen roofs and repair fragile masonry. A feat many thought impossible! The buildings were made watertight. The interiors restored and reorganised to support the needs of a heritage and community venue. The car park and an impressive new wing added. Now the original, decorative paint schemes are preserved. The crucifix saved and returned. And, the 12 larger-than-life statues of Franciscan saints – unique to The Monastery – are back standing gloriously regilded in the Great Nave.

So, what’s left to do?

There’s still an integral part of the site missing. Its 1888 Wadsworth organ.

Music has the power to raise our spirits and can lift our hearts and minds. It’s a source of inspiration and provides a soundtrack to our lives stirring memory and emotion. We couldn’t miss the opportunity to reinstate an 1880s Wadsworth organ and fill the church with the music it was designed for.

Gorton Monastery’s organ was dismantled when the church and friary were sold in 1989. The organ pipes were probably sold for scrap. The organ loft has remained empty. We hoped one day an opportunity would arrive to put this last missing piece of The Monastery back where it belonged.

Gorton Monastery organ

History of the old Wadsworth organ

In 1888, Father Aiden decided it was time to invest in a new organ more suitable for the size of the building. He began fundraising. That same year, Gorton celebrated the magnificent, new organ with a special service. A distinguished Franciscan organist, Father Augustine d’Hoole, travelled from Glasgow to play the organ. Many at Gorton thought their lay brother, Brother Raphael, was a musical genius at the organ and equally talented to Father Augustine.

‘Fr. Aiden wanted a new organ. There was a three-day bazaar in May 1888 and on 15th July the Solemn Opening of the new Organ took place with a distinguished Franciscan organist, Fr. Augustine d’Hoole, OFM, being brought from the Friary, Glasgow, for the occasion. There were many that thought the laybrother, Bro. Raphael, a genius in the kitchen, and also an inspired genius at the organ and the regular organist for many years, could have easily compared with Fr. Augustine. But there it was.’

Excerpt from Father Justin McLoughlin’s book, Gorton Monastery 1861-1961

Organ music was at the height of fashion. They were not only found in churches and chapels (as we tend to think of pipe organs today). They provided musical soundtracks at theatres and music to sing and dance to many fashionable houses.

The organ was built in 1888 by Wadsworth & Brother, a Manchester firm of organ builders set up by Edward Wadsworth in 1861. Born in Chorlton in 1839, Edward was the son of an estate agent. He trained as an apprentice organ builder and soon decided to set up his own business. A ‘sound’ decision during a period of huge growth for organ manufacturing.

Wadsworth manufactured over 1,000 organs during their 85 years. Most made for the parish churches of North West England. Today, only a small fraction of these organs exist. As church attendance declined in the 20th century and churches closed, many organs were dismantled as sold as scrap. Just as happened here at Gorton Monastery.

Manchester Monastery organ loft

A new organ for Gorton

We have fabulous opportunity to return a Wadsworth organ – and its magnificent music – to the Great Nave at the Monastery.

In 2020 during the first Covid lockdown, our CEO, Elaine Griffiths, OBE, was contacted by David Emery the organist and treasurer at Patricroft Methodist Church in Eccles, Salford. His church had closed and David was trying to find a new home for their 1884 Wadsworth organ. The organ was originally built for Trinity Church, which stood on the same site. It’s only four years younger than Gorton’s and is almost identical in size and specification.

The organ restoration

The organ was kindly gifted to us, with only a requirement to pay for its removal from Patricroft and its installation in Gorton.

We obtained expert advice, about the practicalities and cost of moving the organ, from George Sixsmith & Son organ works in Mossley, Ashton-under-Lyne. The Patricroft organ was originally installed and maintained by Cyril Wood of Ashton-Under-Lyne. When Cyril died, George Sixsmith (who once worked for Wadsworth) acquired his business and continued to maintain the organ.

Once dismantled, the organ will be restored and repaired. It’s in good working order – Wadsworth organs were built to last! But, we must take the opportunity to make relatively small repairs necessary for an instrument’s ongoing maintenance and to clean and restore it to its full glory.

Patricroft Methodist Church in Eccles, Salford
The organ at Patricroft

To fit our organ loft, the organ needs to be rebuilt and reconfigured. This won’t affect the way it sounds – it will just change the way it fits the space. This is no mean feat with over 1000 pipes!

Excitingly, this also gives us the opportunity to add modern playing aids – if we can raise enough.

This would allow us to play the organ from the nave and to program it to play music arranged digitally. We’d love to program the organ to play uplifting music at the same time every day for our visitors to enjoy!

Please help us to reach our target of £100,000 to reinstate the Wadsworth organ and return its rich music to the Monastery. We’ve already raised £35,000 thanks to some generous donors.

Its music can be a powerful instrument of mediation and celebration. It can bring joy, soothe our grief, and move us to think differently. Its power – delivered through over 1000 hand-rolled pipes – can stir our deepest emotions.

“To my eyes and ears the organ will ever be the King of Instruments.”

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

1884 Wadsworth organ

Ways you can help us to bring organ music back to Gorton Monastery

Sponsor a unique pipe

Would you like to sponsor a unique pipe, or row of pipes, with your name & generosity forever inscribed on a plaque in the Monastery? It’s easy!

Simply click here and fill in our sponsorship form.


Buy our book

All proceeds from the sale of our latest book, Trust: The Story of Gorton Monastery, go to the appeal. You can buy your copy from the Browse our Books section of our website or by clicking here.


Donate online

It’s super easy for you to donate using our JustGiving donate button.


Fundraise for us

You can fundraise using our JustGiving page. You can find it quickly by clicking here or visiting https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/monastery-organ-appeal.


Raise awareness

Help to spread the word about our fundraising.

Do you know a community group who would like this project? Does your company want to sponsor the organ restoration? Please contact us and we’ll be very grateful for your support.


Thank you for helping to support our appeal. You’re helping to bring the music back to the Monastery.


Words | Dr. Caroline Paige  Photography | Len Grant

Book Review: Gorton Monastery 1861-1961

Subject: Victorian Manchester; Manchester history; Manchester heritage; Franciscan history.

By Father Justin McLoughlin; reviewed by Janet Wallwork, published 1961 (Historical Reprint Series).

Gorton Monastery 1861-1961: The story of 100 years of the Friary, Gorton, Father Justin McLoughlin, Monastery Publications (Historical Reprint Series), 46p, £2.99. First published in 1961. ISBN 978-0-95714-841-3

In 1861, a small group of Belgian Franciscan Friars arrived in Gorton. Despite having a local Catholic population of just a few hundred and very little money they enlisted the famous church architect, Edward Welby Pugin, to build them a friary and church ‘of cathedral-like proportions.’

Over the next century, they also established three schools and an impressive range of parish organisations – spiritual, educational, cultural, and social.

This little book, written by the archivist of the Order, was published to mark the centenary of the friars’ momentous arrival. It tells the story of the buildings and of the flourishing parish that surrounded them.

Sadly, in 1989 the friars left Gorton and for years the church stood empty and derelict. In 1996, a charity was established – The Monastery of St Francis and Gorton Trust – to raise the funds to rescue and restore the church and friary buildings. It reopened its doors in 2007 with a new life as a community, cultural, and corporate venue.

The Trust obtained permission to reprint Father Justin’s book to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the day the friars came to Gorton.

 

Editor’s note: This book – and other Monastery Publications – are available to buy both in our onsite Monastery Shop and via our online bookshop.

Book Review: Assisi to Gorton

A 2-minute read.

Subject: Victorian Manchester; Manchester history; Manchester heritage; Franciscan history.

By Father Agnellus Andrew; reviewed by Janet Wallwork, published 1938 (Historical Reprint Series).

Assisi to Gorton: A brief record of the work of the Franciscans in England, and especially their work in Gorton, 1861-1938, Father Agnellus Andrew, Monastery Publications (Historical Reprint Series), 108p, £4.99. First published in 1938. ISBN 978-0-95714-842-0

The Church and Friary of St Francis, Gorton – known locally as ‘Gorton Monastery’ – was built by Belgian Franciscans who arrived there in 1861. They engaged the famous church architect, Edward Welby Pugin, and over the next ten years, and with only limited resources, they constructed a magnificent church of cathedral-like proportions.

The church opened in 1872 but work to complete it continued for many years. It was consecrated in 1938 and this book was published to mark that occasion.

It gives first a brief account of the Franciscans in England, from the arrival of the first friars in 1224, followed by the story of their work and achievements in Gorton.

Although the friars left in 1989 their wonderful buildings survive. They now belong to a charity, The Monastery of St Francis and Gorton Trust, which rescued and restored them as a community, cultural and corporate venue. The Trust reprinted this little book to mark the 150th anniversary of the Franciscans in Gorton.

Father Agnellus Andrew was one of the best known and loved members of the Gorton community. He later found fame as a pioneer of religious broadcasting. In 1980, Father Agnellus was called to Rome where he was ordained a bishop and became the Vatican’s head of Press and Broadcasting Relations. Based at Gorton from 1932 to 1954, he was a charismatic and inspirational preacher. In this history of The Monastery he tells the Franciscan story simply and clearly.

Editor’s note: This book is available to buy in our Monastery Shop.

 

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