A campaign has been launched to save save mosaic scheme in Chorlton-cum-Hardy
The absolutely beautiful interior mosaic scheme has been revealed within the partially demolished former Islamic High School for Girls building on High Lane in Chorlton-cum-Hardy.
The school building itself was previously a girls’ convent school called “Our Lady of Good Counsel” and formed part of the block of RC buildings extending from the St.John’s Parish Centre on the corner of Chequers Road to St. John’s RC Church on the corner of St.Clements Rd.
St John’s church boasts a world renowned mosaic scheme designed by Eric Newton and fabricated by the family business of Oppenheimer down the road in Old Trafford.
The factory produced high quality mosaics for important civic and church buildings throughout France, Ireland and the UK during its active period between 1865 and 1965.
The interior mosaics just revealed at the High Lane site are made of Venetian glass smalti, including gold leaf smalti, combined with historic Jesse Rust recycled glass, historically made in London. During its recent lifetime, the mosaic was clearly covered over – probably with plaster boards – as evidenced by residual daubs of adhesive used in the “dot and dab” fixing process.
There has been some publicity about a smaller exterior post-war mosaic feature on one of the adjacent school buildings on Stockton Road and a successful campaign has raised sufficient funds for it to be relocated to another school, St. Ambrose Academy in Hale, with the help of the site’s developer, Cube Homes.
The discovery of the high quality interior mosaic, estimated to date from 1905, has prompted the developers to stop the demolition at the 11th hour and allow a grace period for a considered rescue plan to be put in place.
