It may be difficult to believe, but in a spot near where Chinese investors are building 2,000 new homes at Salford’s Middlewood Locks, there once stood Salford’s very own Seaman’s Mission, the Stella Maris.
This very contrast shows the rate and pace of change Salford has seen since 1966.
Here at the corner of Oldfield Reoad and James Street, this building was a favourite of the Modernists with its angled lines and unique frontage.
Architect Desmond Williams designed the building to look like the prow of a ship, described by the Salford City Reporter as ‘being of a pleasant architectural design’.
His company more famously designed churches in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Sacred Heart on Lord Street in Cadishead, Saint Sebastian on Gerald Road in Salford, St Joseph the Worker in Irlam and the Grade II-listed Saint Augustine’s Catholic Church in Manchester.
The Stella Maris cost the Apostleship of the Sea (an arm of the Catholic Church) £125,000 to build, a staggering amount of money for what was effectively a social club.
Architect Desmond Williams’ pre-build impression
It was opened with a flourish in June 1966 by Father Keegan from the local Diocese, and blessed by the Bishop of Salford, the Rt Rev Thomas Holland, who read out a telegram from the Vatican (!) at the opening ceremony.
Joining them was Roy Mason, the Minister of State for the Board of Trade.
The Mount Carmel Prize Band led a procession of local dignitaries from Bexley Square.
Also in attendance were guests from the Merchant Navy Welfare Association, The Apostleship of the Sea, and the King George’s Fund for Sailors.
April 2012 demolition – SalfordOnline.com Youtube
At that time, there was nothing more necessary than a seaman’s hostel and club – providing respite for the huge numbers of seafarers streaming into Salford docks for work.
But ask anyone under the age of 30 what a ‘seaman’s mission’ is and you’ll get blank looks, no doubt.
Inside there was a bar, a ballroom, a library, a restaurant and lounge and incredibly, colour TVs and a heated swimming pool. Such luxuries were few and far between in Salford of the late 1960s.
There were also 24 rooms for peripatetic seafarers.
Of course at the time, thousands of seaman were bringing goods from all four corners of the earth and depositing them in Salford docks.
One even included a hand-carved totem pole….
Mr Mason gave a speech in which he said, “We all know that our merchant seamen, because of the particular demands of their calling are deprived of many of the amenities enjoyed by those whose work does not take them away from home for long periods.”
He then went on at some length to stress that the State didn’t provide enough facilities for seamen, however the government did take an interest in the welfare of seamen and was delighted that this club, which ‘was second to none’ provided everything for the merchant seaman.
This new club replaced a club at Salford docks which was run by the Apostleship of the Sea which catered for seaman, respective of race, colour or creed.
In 1981 Bishop Holland closed the Mission – it was lacking a purpose and certainly lacking numbers as Salford Docks declined through the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The Salvation Army stepped in to re-open it as the James Street Salvation Army Centre, where it would once again offer respite for more groups of itinerant men.
In 2009 Salford City Council bought the Salvation Army Centre for £700,000 in order to demolish it as part of their Chapel Street regeneration plans, but it would take until April 2012 until it was finally pulled down.
Photo gallery by Richard Macdonald via Islington in Salford
This was despite fervent representations from the Manchester Modernist Society.
Maureen Ward said at the time: “We were very disappointed that this piece of Salford’s 1960’s heritage was demolished and that a new use for the building was not considered by the Council.”
Some local residents derided the building as an ugly and charmless slab of modernistic concrete, but others believed it possessed a certain beauty and were sad to see the building demolished after only 50 years of use.
Additional images by the Salford Wall
