Historic churches · North West England
Besses United Reformed Church
In or near Manchester.
Besses United Reformed Church — church in Besses o' th' Barn, Whitefield, Greater Manchester, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 30 min–1 h
- Nearest railway station
- Clifton · 2.8 km
- Free entry
Getting there & planning your visit
Besses United Reformed Church is located at postcode M45 7AL in Bury, North West England. The nearest railway station is Clifton, which is 2.8 km away. Entry to the church is free.
About
Besses United Reformed Church is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1863. Designed by Alfred Waterhouse. Built in the Gothic Revival style. Heritage designation: Grade II listed building. Wikidata describes it as: "church in Besses o' th' Barn, Whitefield, Greater Manchester, England, UK". Coordinates: 53.5428°, -2.2900°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Besses United Reformed Church is designated a Grade II building by Historic England. It is situated between Bury New Road and Bury Old Road at Besses o' th' Barn, an area of Whitefield, Greater Manchester, England. As of May 2025, the building is owned by Manchester Chinese Christian Church, and the Eternal Grace Cantonese-speaking congregation which previously met at a Salvation Army building is based at the church.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Besses United Reformed Church is designated a Grade II building by Historic England. It is situated between Bury New Road and Bury Old Road at Besses o' th' Barn, an area of Whitefield, Greater Manchester, England. As of May 2025, the building is owned by Manchester Chinese Christian Church, and the Eternal Grace Cantonese-speaking congregation which previously met at a Salvation Army building is based at the church.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Besses United Reformed Church was built to serve the Congregational denomination of nonconformist Christians and was originally known as Besses Congregational Church. The United Kingdom Congregationalists and the Presbyterian Church of England merged in the 1970s to form the United Reformed Church. The structure was designed in the Gothic Revival style by Alfred Waterhouse. His design allowed for a chapel capable of holding 823 people, ancillary buildings such as the vestry, and a schoolroom on the upper storey. The latter measured 78 ft by 33 ft and was expected to accommodate between 500 and 600 children. The local school at that time had a roll of 200, of which 70-80 were adults.…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 53.5428, -2.2900
- District
- Bury
- Parish
- Bury, unparished area
- Postcode
- M45 7AL
- Parliamentary constituency
- Bury South
- Established
- 1863
- Nearest railway station
- Clifton — 2.8 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q4896439 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Besses United Reformed Church (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Besses URC - geograph.org.uk - 1137271.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Besses United Reformed Church?
- Besses United Reformed Church is in North-West England, United Kingdom (postcode M45 7AL), in the parish of Bury, unparished area.
- What is Besses United Reformed Church?
- Besses United Reformed Church — church in Besses o' th' Barn, Whitefield, Greater Manchester, England, UK.
- How do I get to Besses United Reformed Church?
- The nearest railway station is Clifton, about 2.8 km away. Drivers can use postcode M45 7AL.
- When was Besses United Reformed Church built?
- Built or established in 1863. Designed by Alfred Waterhouse.
- Is Besses United Reformed Church a listed building?
- Besses United Reformed Church is officially recognised as Grade II listed building listed.
- Is Besses United Reformed Church free to visit?
- Yes, Besses United Reformed Church is free to enter.
- How do I get to Besses United Reformed Church?
- The nearest railway station is Clifton, about 2.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode M45 7AL.