WYCH HOUSE LANE 1974

Here's the row of buildings along the left hand side of Wych House Lane which we talked about HERE. Middlewich's original Catholic Church was here and I think the likeliest candidate for the honour is the building towards the far end of this group. Unfortunately I don't think I have a closer view of this, but I think it may, at one time, have had vaguely ecclesiastical- looking windows (Did it? Or is my mind playing tricks?). The other buildings are in typical 'salt works' style - hastily and badly built and not made to last. The other possibility is that the church was demolished to make way for these buildings, which would have had to be a very long time ago, so I think it unlikely.

• • There's a third possibility, of course: that the church wasn't part of this group at all, but was in another part of Wych House Lane, which winds round past 'The House Of Feathers' and 'Andersen Boats' on its way to the canal.
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    In fact, looking at the building at the end of the row, it too looks a bit jerry built and almost temporary - certainly not church-like.
    

    
    
  • First published on Facebook on 13th May 2011. The original feedback is here:
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    Geraldine Williams 
    
    
    

    Wikipedia states that 'Catholic masses were held in a cottage near the cemetery from 1848 until the building of the first Catholic church in the town in Wych House Lane in 1864. This was enlarged to include the first Catholic school in the town in 1869. The church was replaced by the modern St Mary's on New King St in 1890'. Must have been a substantial building then and the cross from it (now in the porch of the new church) is a hefty stone one.

    
    

    13 May at 17:02 · 
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    Dave Roberts Yes, I've seen that cross. it certainly doesn't look like it belongs on the rather gimcrack looking building in the photo. Really, none of the buildings in either of those slides look like candidates for a former church. Butthe years 1864 - 1890 are well into the photographic era. Now, I wonder..
    

    13 May at 17:09 ·