Gorton Monastery

English Heritage’s guidance to the Trust throughout the project has been invaluable and their initial support to the Franciscan Friars in the 1980s, with a grant towards the repair of the roof, undoubtedly saved the church from an uncertain future. English Heritage’s recent significant grant has helped rejuvenate Gorton Monastery as an icon for what can be achieved by a building preservation trust. Paul Griffiths, Chair, The Monastery of St Francis and Gorton Trust

Designed by EW Pugin - son of AWN Pugin, designer of the Houses of Parliament - the grade II* listed Monastery of St Francis at Gorton is a masterpiece of the Gothic revival. The building closed in 1989 and, after a project to convert it for residential use failed, it rapidly deteriorated. Stonework, statuary and other materials, even the high altar, were stolen and the building was placed on English Heritage’s Buildings at Risk Register.

Now Gorton has a future once more; one which has, from the start, involved local residents in decisions about its use. A building preservation trust bought the complex in 1996 and commenced a £6.5 million refurbishment project that has become one of the largest community-led regeneration projects in the country. This has turned the building into a business and events centre. The spectacular body of the church, with its arcades and stained glass windows, is now a venue for weddings, conferences and banquets, whilst the cloisters have been converted into meeting rooms. Alongside these commercial functions, the Monastery will include a community centre and provide employment to local people.

In addition to providing grants for conservation work, English Heritage has helped the Trust providing expert architectural and conservation advice to support their own team. The church, cloisters and former friary have been conserved and converted to the highest standards. The Monastery is engaged in a fundraising drive for restoration of the sanctuary and the reinstatement of twelve statues.

The friars originally came to Gorton to serve those most in need in 19th-century industrial Manchester. Thanks to the preservation trust, the local community and the wholehearted support of New East Manchester, this building will continue to help those people who live around it. Indeed, in a neighbourhood which still has more than its fair share of social and economic problems, the Monastery is widely credited as being the catalyst for wider regeneration.