7th August 2021

Here in Gorton, Manchester the temperature today is going to be 28 degrees, which is uncomfortably warm because the house is designed for cold weather. No air-conditioning and double paned windows means the air movement is hardly happening.

Nat is ready to start her exam for her Law degree. She is doing it online, so I want to keep the house quiet for her and decided that a morning walk would be nice.

I wanted to check out the old church across Hyde Road and have a look in the church yard. The church appears to be closed up and not in use.

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According to the website for the Gorton Unitarians, this is their Brookfield Church and due to Covid-19, there are no services happening there at the moment. Possibly in December they may recommence.

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The Gorton (the suburb of Manchester I now live in) Heritage Trail states that the current church was built in 1871 and replaced another church which was built in 1703. A stone from the original church can still be seen, in the lower meadow behind the current church, although I didn’t see it.

Once inside the gate, I wandered through the grounds, looking at family histories marked on the headstones. Most were surrounded by tall grass and weeds and in need of care. Only the large mausoleum was standing proudly away from the weeds.

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Here is the resting place of the church’s benefactor and Gorton’s first member of parliament, Richard Peacock.

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I came across a circular stone in the grass marking the location of Gorton Schools 1865. Which would make it on the grounds of the original church prior to Bloomfield being built.

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The dappled light on this beautiful morning made the graveyard more serene. A quiet resting place.

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There is also a memorial to those in the church congregation who served during World War 1 and 2.

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A tiny old building stands in the corner of the church yard. Perhaps it was a Sunday school or the home of the minister. Its roof is in need of repair and ivy has taken over the brickwork. But you can see that it had character.

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There are many more historical sites around where I now live. From pretty old pubs to a monastery. I am hoping to get out and explore when I can and share with you what is around my new home in Gorton, Manchester and the UK.

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Hugs.