St Clement's Church, Chorlton-cum-Hardy

St Clement's Church is an active Anglican parish church in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, England. Its daughter church, St Barnabas (opened 1951), serves the Barlow Moor estate and south Chorlton. St Clement's is in the Hulme deanery in the diocese of Manchester.

Chorlton's first church was south of Chorlton Green. The chapel, dedicated to St Clement, was established early in the 16th century, probably in 1512, as a chapel of ease to the Church of St James, Didsbury in the huge ecclesiastical parish of Manchester in the Diocese of Lichfield. The chapel was replaced by another brick-built chapel in 1779. For about 35 years it was Roman Catholic, until the separation from Rome under King Henry VIII.

By 1860 there was a need for a larger church and the new St Clement's Church on Edge Lane opened in 1866, although it was not consecrated until 1896.Sir William Cunliffe Brooks, a benefactor to the township, did not support building the new church. Two of his daughters who died in infancy were buried at the old church. Another wealthy and influential parishioner who opposed the move was the merchant, Samuel Mendel of Manley Hall, Whalley Range. The old church stood until 1940, when the endowment was formally transferred to the new church. The old church was demolished in 1949. Its ground plan is still apparent and its site was excavated in 1980-81. At Hurstville Road, Hardy Lane, is St Barnabas's Church, a chapel dependent upon St Clement's. It opened in 1951. St Clement's celebrated its 500th anniversary during 2012. David Bonser, the Anglican Bishop of Bolton from 1991 until 1999, was rector of St Clement's from 1968 to 1972.

...
Wikipedia