St. Wilfrid's Roman Catholic Church - Hulme![]() The Neo-Gothic Church and
Presbytery were designed
Augustus Welby Pugin, the father of Edward Pugin who was responsible
for the
Gorton Monastery.
![]() According to the Manchester 2002 website, "In late 1990 the church was deconsecrated and the smaller congregation was to be served by the former social club of St Wilfred's parish which was converted into the modern church of St Wilfred's & St Laurence. The original Pugin building is now occupied by several commercial companies as part of an enterprise centre, and is externally, at least, a little run down and sadly in need of some refurbishment." ![]() The Pevsner Guide for
Manchester describes St Wilfrid's as, "A seminal building in
the history of C19 church architecture, yet in striking contrast to the
regeneration all around, it is in shockingly poor condition."
![]() Today Pugin's church is the
St Wilfrid’s Enterprise Centre. It was developed within the
former building, by the regeneration social enterprise group Firmstart,
in 1994. An entry on the Internet advertising an office space within
the Enterprise Centre says this of the building, "It contains 21 units
on two floors, accessible by stairs and a lift. It offers serviced
offices furnished or unfurnished. Each office has its own unique charm,
with the original architecture on show. On the first floor the ceilings
have wooden beams and glazing panels, while on the ground floor there
are stained glass windows, decorative pillars and lancet shaped doors."
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