Planning Case Study 142
Former Welsh Baptist Chapel, Upper Brook Street, Manchester
Planning scenario(s)
Heritage assets affected
Non-designated heritage assets of archaeological and historic interest
Type of application & broad category
Local planning authority
Authority: Manchester City Council
References: 102531/FO/2013
Development proposal
Repairs and alterations to the former Welsh Baptist Chapel and attached Islamic Academy building, in association with: conversion to self-contained residential units together with erection of detached single storey building to form additional residential units (93 units in total), vehicular access from Upper Brook Street and associated works - Former Welsh Baptist Chapel and Islamic Academy of Manchester, 19 Upper Brook Street, Ardwick.
This scheme involved creating 93 new residences including refurbishing and converting the ruined Grade II* 1839 Unitarian Chapel (later Welsh Baptist) and building new residential blocks alongside.
Archaeological information known about the site before the planning application was made, or before the development commenced, as appropriate
Listed chapel (Grade II*) with associated graveyard. A survey of the chapel was undertaken by the Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit in 2005.
Archaeological/planning processes
The historical assessment submitted by developer in support of the application in 2013 was undertaken without consulting the HER and it proposed to remove the burials without any archaeological recording.
English Heritage had been consulted on the scheme and had commented they were happy with it but did not identify archaeological interests or recommend consultation with the archaeological advisors to the LPA.
The archaeological advisors recommended to the LPA that the removal of burials would need to be undertaken archaeologically. It also flagged up a special historic interest in relation to the burial of Mary Barton (died 1851) who would have been known to Elizabeth Gaskell who lived nearby and whose first novel is Mary Barton.
They recommended a condition to the LPA to secure developer funded recording of the graveyard and skeletal remains (a detailed historic building survey had already been carried out and reported on) and to disseminate the results through a popular booklet in the Greater Manchester’s Past Revealed series and an information panel.
The application was approved in 2014 and included a pre-commencement archaeological condition.
Outcomes: archaeological
Following the granting of planning permission, a desk-based assessment and graveyard survey was undertaken in 2014, and the excavation of 35 burial vaults impacted by the development took place in 2015.
Full analysis of the graveyard and excavated burials has been completed.
Other outcomes/outputs e.g. other public benefit such as public engagement, research and new/changed work practices
The identification of the possible relationship of one of the burials with the 19th century author, Elizabeth Gaskell.
The results are summarised in a popular publication about the chapel and graveyard and Unitarianism in Manchester in the 19th century, and also provide an insight into health issues within a 19th century population.
The human remains were respectfully re-buried at Manchester’s Southern Cemetery.
References and links/bibliography
- Phoenix Exhumation Ltd 2014, Former Welsh Baptist Chapel, Upper Brook Street, Manchester: An Archaeological Desk-based Assessment and Graveyard Survey. Unpublished report, No. PE/2014/7.
- Phoenix Exhumation Ltd 2017, Former Welsh Baptist Chapel, Upper Brook Street, Manchester, Excavation and Exhumation of 35 Vaults. Unpublished report No. PEL/2015/17.
- Gregory, R and Keen, D, Architecture, Burial and Reform: the Upper Brook Street Unitarian Chapel, Manchester, Greater Manchester’s Past Revealed 19, 2018.
