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The Fairfield Moravian Settlement is situated in a heavily built-up area south-west of the centre of Droylsden in the Tameside district of Greater Manchester about four miles east of the city centre of Manchester.
The Moravian Church is one of the smaller religious bodies in Britain; but with a long and honorable history. It is the oldest Free Church in Northern Europe, being a Reformed Church sixty years before the Reformation. It was founded in 1457, arising out of the work of John Hus, the Bohemian martyr, who himself was inspired by the Englishman John Wyclif. After flourishing in Moravia and Bohemia as the 'Unitas Fratrum', it was almost wiped out during the Thirty Years War. A hidden seed survived however, and fled into Saxony where refuge was found with the generous and pious Count Zinzendorf under whose leadership the Church was renewed in 1722.
The Moravians as this 'Church of the Brotherhood' came to be known, took an active part in the evangelical revival in England during the 18th century, being closely associated for a time with John Wesley. Theirs was also the first Protestant body to venture out as a church in 1732 on foreign missions. As an international church it co-operates in this work today with its sister branches on the Continent and in America. In England it stands in friendly relations with the Anglican and the Free Churches. Moravians have no doctrinal peculiarities to propagate. Their emphasis is on Christian life and fellowship.
In the 18th century some congregations were established as Settlements, where Moravians might live and follow their private vocations as members of a disciplined Christian Brotherhood. The Moravians were educational pioneers. Amos Comenius, 'the father of modern education', was a Moravian bishop, and boarding schools for girls and boys were established in the Settlements.
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The picture above is reproduced from an early print and shows the principal buildings of the Settlement facing onto the South Terrace. Although some of the open land in the foreground has since been used for residential development, the buildings have remained almost unchanged. The picture shows the Church in the centre, the Brethren's House to the left and the Sisters House to the right.
Fairfield, as one of these Settlements, was opened in 1785. It was planned and built by it's own people. The village was self-contained and self-governed, with its inn, shop, bakery, farm, laundry, fire-engine, night-watchman, inspector of weights and measures, an overseer of roads, and even it's own physician. There were community houses for sisters and brethren, who applied themselves to the varied work of the settlement.
The place was a hive of industrious and religious activity. The Single Brethren had a bakehouse, and every week-day a Single Brother rode out on horseback delivering bread. The Single Sisters had a farm and a laundry, did beautiful needlework and sent some to Queen Adelaide, pleasing her so much that she ordered more. In all this was a two-fold purpose. On the one hand they were supporting the community; on the other they had they had a definite religious mission; and even the inn was considered a place where gospel tracts might fitly be left. The little village was the home of law and order, peace and quiet.
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But with the passing of time have come changes. The boarding schools of Fairfield have gone. That for boys, started in 1790, was discontinued in 1891; and the girls school, begun in 1796, has passed into the care of the local authority as Fairfield High School for Girls. Day schools opened in 1796, were closed in 1864. The work of the Moravian Theological College was transferred to Fairfield in 1875 and continued there in the original Sisters House until 1958.
Fairfield is no longer a self contained village; no longer does the watchman make his nightly rounds, and in the farm meadows are now streets and houses, yet the Settlement still has a character unique within the Manchester conurbation. The inward looking layout, the character and treatment of the buildings and spaces, and the mature trees, create a high degree of enclosure and an unusual mixture of intimacy, insularity and quietness. The clean and simple lines of the late Georgian architecture, the formal layout, the streets which are unusually wide and surfaced in a rich yet unified pattern of cobbles, stone paving and red gravel, and the gardens and cemetery preserve a pleasing 18th century character. There are about fifty cottages arranged in a formal manner fronting the streets and creating the main enclosed spaces of the Settlement. These cottages possess an overall unity of scale, colour and texture, with warm red brickwork and slate roofs. The main pedestrian Terrace, with the Church in the centre, the High School to one side and the College to the other, form a symmetrical frontage to the open spaces of the Church gardens and the Burial Ground.
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Fairfield Settlement 1794
Artist John Swertner (1746-1813)
The Settlement of Fairfield is of unique importance nationally being the largest settlement of its kind in Britain, and still retaining sufficient character to illustrate the qualities inherent in an 18th century Moravian community development. Consequently all of the buildings within the Settlement are on the statutory list of buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. The Settlement together with the adjacent Broadway Garden Village, forms the Moravian Settlement Conservation Area which has been declared to be of outstanding architectural and historic interest by the Department of the Environment.
Despite the many changes in the life of the Settlement over the past 200 years, the Church, with its worshipping and serving congregation, remains its focus and heart.
The Minister,
28 Fairfield Square, Droylsden,
Manchester M43 6AE. Tel: 0161 370 1856
Treasurer:
Mrs. Janet Warr,
10 Fairfield Square,
Droylsden,
Manchester.
M43 6FD.
Tel: 0161 370 0132
Public worship takes place each Sunday at 11 a.m. and on most Sunday evenings except the first in the month, at 6:30 p.m. offering a warm welcome to the newcomer and visitor.
Lovefeast and Holy Communion 3.15 pm 1st Sunday of each month. Holy Communion on 3rd Sunday 11 am, except August.
Local children are provided with Christian education through a lively Sunday School which meets each Sunday at 10 a.m. and character training through the uniformed groups associated with Guides and Scouts.
As a member of the Moravian Church worldwide, Fairfield maintains its historic commitment to the overseas work of the Church, whilst at the same time supporting local charities. It attempts to meet the social needs of the local community through activities such as a Luncheon Club and a regular Thursday Coffee Morning, and welcomes the presence at one corner of the Settlement of sheltered accommodation owned by Anchor Housing.
Although not in the direct ownership of the congregation, the housing in the Settlement serves to provide rented accommodation in a tranquil setting, as well as creating a situation in which the ideals of Christian living can be translated into reality. Far from being a rather quaint museum piece, the Settlement can thus claim to be a living and serving community, true to the ideals of those responsible for its foundation.
Rev. Benjamin La Trobe designed and built the Settlement at Fairfield. The historian Aitkin paid this tribute to La Trobe on his death.
(Kept in the old English)
"On Wednesday evening, November 29th 1786, died, at his houfe in Fetter-lane, moft fincerely lamented, in the 59th year of his age, the Rev. Mr. BENJAMIN LA TROBE. By a large circle of acquaintance, he was known, refpected, and afteemed. The goodnefs of his heart, and the affability of his difpofition, endeared him to all his connections. Diftingguifhed in the practice and profeffion of every Chriftian virtue, few men poffeffed a greater liberality of fentiment, or a more general and extenfive knowledge of men and things. His last moment fhewed that he knew his Redeemer liveth, and that he could meet him with joy: and thus, after a long and painful illnefs of nineteen weeks, which he bore with uncommon patience, he died, as he lived, in perfect refignation to the will of his Maker, an ornament to his profeffion, and a friend to mankind. his death will be a lofs to his afflicted family and friends, of which thofe only who knew his value moft can form an idea. In the early part of his life he joined the church of the United Brethren, and till his death proved its zealous friend and protector. The truly Chriftian and benevolent principlesof the Brethren were ftrictly conformsble to his own fentiments; and, becoming an indefatigable paftor among them, he proved an ufeful inftrument for many years in promoting the laudable purpofes of the Society, both at home and abroad. In a variety of publications, which he carefully fuperintended for the prefs, he removed every afperfion againft the Brethren, and firmly eftablifhed their reputation.To fum up his character in few words, he was an honeft man, and the fruits of his faithful fervices, as a minifter of the gofpel, will long remain an emblem of his worth and integrity.
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Since it discontinued as a Theological College in 1958, this original building remained vacant and subject to increasing decay until 1973 when the Fairfield Congregation began its preservation and conversion to a building for Christian education and community purposes. This work is now complete, much of the work being done by voluntary labour. The converted building contains a large hall with stage and balcony, minor hall, classrooms, kitchen and ancillary rooms.
The Church, which is the main building within the Settlement, also required extensive repairs and maintenance to preserve the fabric, and this year with the voluntary efforts of the Congregation this work too has now been completed.
Guided tours of the Settlement and Church buildings can be arranged for parties of 20 or more. Details can be obtained by phoning the Tours Secretary on 0161-370-0132.
To view just click on each picture.
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Taken from an article in the Tameside Reporter in the 4th March 1999 edition, by Mike Pavasovic
For more than 200 years there have been Moravian communities living in Tameside.
People tend to think only of the famous Fairfield Settlement, but the congregation was
established in Dukinfield, in the middle of the 18th century. An internationalist Protestant church, the Moravians can trace their history to the 15th century, when the first adherents were inspired by the teachings of John Hus who was martyred in 1415.
Three-hundred years later, they began to arrive in Britain, and the foundation stone of the
first Dukinfield chapel - at the top of Old Road - was laid in May 1751.
It opened the following November and, in 1755 was formally recognised by the Moravian Church.
This was 45 years before the Fairfield Settlement was established, and the Moravians moved
there because it proved impossible to negotiate a new lease in Dukinfield. When they first came to the town, they had an agreement with the Dukinfield family. However, when Lady Penelope Dukinfield died in 1762 - making the Dukinfield line extinct - her second husband John Astley inherited the estates and a new lease became necessary. There was much discussion, but the two sides could not come to an agreement. Thus the Moravians moved to Fairfield, returning to Dukinfield only in 1802.
In his book "A Description of the Country from 30 to 40 Miles Around Manchester", published in
1795, William Aiken comments: "Between(Dukinfield) Lodge and the dissenters' chapel(Old Chapel) is a neat chapel belonging to the Moravians, furnished with an organ; and adjoining it is a range of buildings, once inhabited by an orderly and industrious colony of the fraternity, who carried on a variety of duties and occupations. "This building erected at a great expense by the community under a promise of the renewal of the leases when they should drop which in consequence of the estate going out of the Dukinfield family, became null. "Many negotiations were carried out with Mr Astley, for the purpose of acquiring the business
upon equitable terms but after waiting some years without effect, the society determined upon a removal, and accordingly erected their present building at Fairfield. "Their former settlement at Dukinfield now looks like a deserted village. The chapel is still their property, held by the life of an old man, and services are performed in it by a resident
maintained in the place."
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The Moravian leader at the time, was the Rev. Benjamin La Trobe(1728-1786), described by Aiken
as "a person highly respected, not only by his own fraternity, but by the public at large. "To them he was known by his many ingenious writings, and by a totally Christian character." Although La Trobe was unable to come to a lease agreement with Astley, the two men appear to
have become friends, so much so that Astley - an artist of renown - painted La Trobe's portrait. It hung at Dukinfield Lodge for many years.
It was La Trobe who designed the Fairfield church, his second son Benjamin Henry La Trobe (*), later became head of public buildings in the USA, and oversaw maintenance at the White House.
When the Moravians returned to Dukinfield, they opened a knew chapel in 1826, and again in 1860. However they left Old Road in the early 1970's and their church on Yew Tree Lane was opened on March 3rd 1973.
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Benjamin Henry La Trobe (1764-1820)
(*) Benjamin Henry Latrobe was born in 1764 at Fulneck in Yorkshire. He was the Second son of the Reverend Benjamin Latrobe (1728 - 86), the minister and builder of the Moravian church at Fairfield, and Anna Margaretta (Antes) Latrobe (1728 - 94), a third generation Pennsylvanian of Moravian Parentage. Whilst he is most noted for his work on The White House and the Capitol in Washington, he introduced the Greek Revival as the style of American National architecture. He built Baltimore Cathedral, the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in America and considered by many as La Trobes finest monument.
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John Frederick La Trobe Bateman (1810-1889)
John Frederick La Trobe Bateman was born in 1810 at Lower Wyke, near Halifax, Yorkshire. Eldest son of John Bateman and his wife, Mary Agnes La Trobe, He was the grandson of the Reverend Benjamin La Trobe, the former Moravian minister at Fairfield and nephew of Benjamin Henry La Trobe, the famous American Architect.
Educated at the Moravian schools of Ockbrook and Fairfield, then apprenticed to the Oldham engineer and surveyor, Mr Dunn.
In 1831 he was the surveyor for the engineer Thomas Ashworth for the construction of the Hurst Reservoir for Glossop. In 1846 the Health of Large Towns Report was published and the need of urban areas for clean fresh water, being its main issue. John Bateman submitted to Manchester a scheme to supply clean drinking water by building a series of reservoirs in the Longendale Valley. In 1847 the Manchester Corporation Waterworks Act came into being.
From 1848 to 1877, John Bateman constructed the main five reservoirs of Woodhead, Torside and Rhodeswood for drinking water and Vale House and Bottom Reservoir as compensation reservoirs. Later two smaller reservoirs were added at Hollingworth and Arnfield and the construction of the tunnel between Rhodeswood and the Godley treatment works at Hyde. Also constructed by Bateman between 1875 - 1884, were three service reservoirs at Godley Denton and Audenshaw
The reservoirs are still in use, and at the time were the largest constructed in the world, and a model for other water conservation schemes. The reservoirs boast that they have never run dry.
The health of Manchester and Tameside improved.
John Bateman was married to Anne Fairbairn in 1841, and had three sons and four daughters. In 1883 John Bateman was granted by royal licence, the use his mothers name.
A Blue Plaque honouring John Frederick La Trobe Bateman and his achievements can be found on the deepest air shaft on the Mottram Tunnel, at Lowry Court Mottram.
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Follow the link above by clicking on the logo to visit Susan Schlacks Moravian pages.
Photographs and this web page created by Bill & Mike McDonald; information and graphics obtained from leaflets provided by Fairfield Moravian Settlement.
Page updated 03 July 2005
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