St Luke's Church, Cheetham

{{Short description|Former Anglican parish church in Manchester, England}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2025}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox church

| name = St Luke's Church

| image = St Luke's Cheetham - geograph.org.uk - 1446854.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = St Luke's, Cheetham Hill

| coordinates = {{Coord|53|30|13|N|2|14|4|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| country = England

| denomination = Anglican

| address = Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, M8 8JA

| status = Derelict

| architect = T. W. Atkinson

| style = Perpendicular Gothic

| years built = 1836–1839

| materials = Ashlar

| embedded = {{Designation list

| embed = yes

| designation1 = Grade II Listed Building

| designation1_offname = Ruins of Church of St Luke

| designation1_date = 3 October 1974

| designation1_number = {{NHLE|num=1293101|short=y|postscript=none}}

}}

}}

St Luke's Church was an Anglican parish church in the Cheetham district of Manchester, England. The structure is now mostly derelict and is currently owned by the Heritage Trust for the North West.

The Church of St Luke was a Commissioners' church,{{cite book |title=Manchester: An Architectural History |first=John J. |last=Parkinson-Bailey |publisher=Manchester University Press |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-71905-606-2 |page=58}} situated on the corner of Cheetham Hill Road and Smedley Lane. The building was completed in 1839, using ashlar, to a Perpendicular Gothic design by T. W. Atkinson. Construction had commenced in 1836.{{cite book |title=Buildings of England: South Lancashire: The Industrial and Commercial South |first=Nikolaus |last=Pevsner |authorlink=Nikolaus Pevsner |edition=Reprinted, revised |publisher=Yale University Press |year=1969 |isbn=978-0-30009-615-6 |page=338}}

A wealthy local resident and enthusiastic amateur musician, J. W. Fraser, commissioned William Hill to design and install a three-manual church organ in the German System style. This was completed in 1840.{{cite book |title=The Making of the Victorian Organ |first=Nicholas |last=Thistlethwaite |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-52166-364-9 |pages=178, 202, 466}} Mendelssohn gave a recital using this instrument in April 1847.{{cite news |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/03/from-the-classical-archive-1847-mendelssohn-organ-recital |title=Dr Mendelssohn's organ recital: 'considerable curiosity and interest were excited' |date=3 May 2016 |access-date=2017-06-14}}

Although now mostly derelict, the tower and west end of the aisles and vestry survive and are classified as a Grade II listed building.{{cite web |website=British Listed Buildings |url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101293101-ruins-of-church-of-st-luke-cheetham-ward#.WUEmSDeQzxM |title=Ruins of Church of St Luke |access-date=2017-06-14}}

In the grounds of the ruined church also lies a large crypt supported by pillars and archways, that still contains remnants of pottery and headstones. Eerie photos of the crypt have appeared online, attracting attention to this historic site.{{cite news |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/huge-creepy-abandoned-crypt-people-26585354 |title=The huge creepy abandoned crypt people 'walk past every day' |work=Manchester Evening News |access-date=2023-12-15}}

The church was considered the best early Gothic Revival church in Manchester. The large churchyard was once a fashionable burial site. The church was a stronghold of Protestantism and became notorious when the rector, Hugh Stowell, was accused of libel in 1840.{{cite web |url=https://manchestervictorianarchitects.org.uk/buildings/church-of-st-luke-cheetham-hill-manchester |title=Church of St Luke Cheetham Hill Manchester - Building |website=Architects of Greater Manchester |access-date=2023-12-15}}