The Former Corpus
Christi Basilica - Miles Platting The former Corpus Christi
Basilica on Varley Street in Miles Platting was once home
to the Norbertines, a religious order founded by Father Norbert on
Christmas Day in 1121. The Norberts arrived in Manchester in 1889
and set up home at the Oldham Road Flint Glass Works on Varley
Street. They commissioned Ernest Gunson to design Corpus Christi
that was constructed between 1905 and 1906. Pevsner describes the
building as, "Large,
of
red
brick
with
pale
sandstone
dressings, in the Italian Romanesque
style." Inside
it featured a,
"Tunnel-vaulted aisle with a
series of chapels in low arches."
The image below is
shown here with the permission of Mike Berrell. It comes from the
Churches of Britain & Ireland Website
 An article on the BBC web site, dated April 27,
2007, was entitled "Basilica
closes
after
118
years". It went on to say that, "A basilica in
Manchester is to close because it will cost the religious order living
there too much to repair. The Prior, Fr Hugh says the Corpus Christi
Basilica in Miles Platting has been 'horrifically neglected' and will
cost millions to renovate. As a result, the nine priests and
brothers from the Norbertine community are being forced to move. The
order has lived in the area for 118 years A final mass was held
at the Varley Street basilica on Friday evening." The Norberts first moved to St. Chad’s Church in
the Cheetham area of Manchester (see below). The community transferred
to Chelmsford in 2008.
  After the Norberts left the
building was boarded up and sat vacant.
 The image above is shown with the permission of Mike Berrell In March of 2011, when these images were taken, the building has signs on it for, "USMANIA". USMANIA is a banqueting company that offers the former church as a unique venue for events such as wedding banquets.      |