Church members celebrating twenty-five years since an extraordinary rebirth

Date published: 08 September 2011

Local church members are celebrating twenty-five years since an extraordinary rebirth this September, in conjunction with the national Heritage Open Days on September 9, 10 and 11.

Thursday September 8 is the 25 anniversary of the rededication of St Margaret’s Church, Prestwich, in 1986, following a splendid restoration and renewal after an arson attack devastated the church in February 1985.

The church, on St Margaret’s Road near the north gate of Heaton Park, will be open for visitors as part of Heritage Open Days (a national event co-ordinated by English Heritage) on Friday 9 Septemberf rom 12 noon to 4.00pm, Saturday 10 September from 10.00am to 4.00pm and 11 Sunday September from 12 noon to 4.00pm. Admission is free, and all visitors will receive a free copy of the visitors’ guide.

As well as having a chance to explore the building and admire its artistic and architectural treasures, visitors will be able to see a display of church vestments and silver, and discover the story of the fire and restoration through a special Silver Jubilee exhibition.

In addition to the open days, other celebrations include a great Eucharist of Thanksgiving on Sunday September 11 at 9.45am, when the guest preacher, on familiar ground, will be Canon Martin Ashworth, who supervised the restoration and is fondly remembered as parish priest from 1983 to 2006. The service will be followed by drinks and nibbles. On the evening of the same day there will be afternoon tea at 4.30pm, and a celebratory service of Songs of Praise at 6.00pm.

The Grade II-listed Victorian church was badly damaged by the fire of 1985, which gutted the north aisle and destroyed sections of the church including the organ and Lady Chapel – but the flames proved to be the catalyst for a great renewal and refurbishment which revitalised church and community life as well as showcasing the best modern church craftsmanship.

Many members of the Church Family still remember the difficult eighteen months after the fire, during which services were held in the Church House while fundraising went ahead to repair the damage and transform the building as its dark Victorian interior gave way to light and colour.

On September 8 1986, the Feast of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, the church was reopened and rededicated by the Bishop of Manchester, and this Silver Jubilee weekend will celebrate that anniversary.

Modern additions to the church include two bold paintings by Graeme Willson of Ilkley, an Altar and font cover carved in Dick Reid’s York workshop, a marble font, stained glass, and two banners depicting the Virgin Mary and St Margaret, as well as new flooring and seating. Even though the church reopened in September 1986, the work of beautifying and enhancing it continued for many years, and by 2000 an estimated £1 million in today’s money had been spent on the renewal of the church, much of it given by worshippers and friends as well as by grant-making bodies.

Despite the destruction, most of the church’s fine woodwork was saved during the fire through the gallant work of the emergency services, and St Margaret’s still boasts extensive “Arts and Crafts movement” woodcarvings executed by Arthur Simpson of Kendal between 1899 and 1920, thought to be one of the finest collections in the north.

The Reverend Debby Plummer, priest-in-charge of St Margaret’s since 2007, said: “Our celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the rehallowing of St Margaret’s is important. Those parishioners who remember the arson attack and the subsequent clear-up, and the gradual restoration of the church to beauty and dignity have been sharing their stories with me since I arrived. What I hear is that the effect on the Church (people) was that they opened up to one another and that something similar happened to the church (building) – it also opened up. I hope that this weekend will provide a chance for these stories to be heard afresh and I look forward to welcoming many visitors to St Margaret’s.”