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Case Study - Manchester Cathedral, Manchester
Value: not known, Project length: 11 years
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Over three days on the eve of Christmas 1940, the Luftwaffe bombed Manchester in a series of air raids that brought havoc to the city. On 23rd December, a landmine exploded a few feet away from the east wall of Manchester Cathedral. The damage was devastating. The Lady Chapel was completely destroyed, the Regimental Chapel was reduced to a ruin and the
Choir was wrecked.
With the exception of Coventry Cathedral, Manchester Cathedral had suffered the most extensive damage of all the churches in England.
The monumental task of restoring the Cathedral was led by a team from Browns including masons and stone-carvers, carpenters, joiners, and wood-carvers, plumbers, lead-casters and glaziers, blacksmiths, heating engineers, electricians, and organ-builders, pile-drivers, and concretors, all contributed to this remarkable project.
At one point in the reconstruction there were over 50 men engaged in the Regiment Chapel alone.
The chairman of Browns at that time was James Brown, who was 80 when the bomb hit the Cathedral. James Brown was known as the “Oak King”. His knowledge and stock of English Oak, and his wisdom and experience in all matters relating to craftsmanship in oak, were unsurpassed.
On 16th Nov 1951, the Queen visited Manchester Cathedral to rededicate the newly restored Regiment Chapel. The Queen met some of the Browns craftsmen who had worked on restoring the Chapel.
Ted Jones, the foreman in charge of the restoration project, was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1957 in recognition of his work. He had worked on the project for 11 years and received the honour for displaying great skill and craftsmanship during the supervision of the Cathedral restoration.
For further information on how we can help bring your project to fruition, call: 0845 500 1860
