Either end of St Pauls Ave

Interesting to note that there are two English Heritage Grade 2 listed buildings in St Pauls Avenue.

St Pauls registered in 1983 and St Judes in 2013.

Anyone got a view on the architecture and are there other buildings in the Worsley Mesnes area worthy of historic status?

Original Ben Johnson Pub building

Sir bob, is the original Ben Johnson pub on the opposite corner to where it is now.

MarieM, the answer to your question is in this thread; Ben Jonson

NB Note the spelling too!

Thanks spacebar. I wonder why they changed to the other side of the road. I remember reading somewhere that all that area was once in Pemberton.

the thing they have in Common, MONEY

Link
Link

Perkin, do you know why they changed the Ben Johnson to the other side of the street.

Hi Marie,

Are these the buildings that you presume to be the old Ben Jonson? These are both Grade 2 listed buildings, there is no reference to any of the buildings being a pub.

Perkin, Thank you. It was something I was told.

the two cottages across from the Ben Johnson, 706 has Ben Johnson and I think Walkers Ales painted on the side its very faded but you can see it..just

gemfree, I have noticed that. Perkin, why would they have Ben Jonson and Walkers Ales on a private cottage.

The 1928 map shows the current location of the Ben Johnson. The 1896 map locates it farther north.

I think it proves our planner's are bonkers, who in their right mind would declare ST.JUDES a listed building, just a mass of concrete .

They should restore the old painted billboard signs.

I would love to know why it says ben Jonson and walkrs ales on the cottage opposite the Ben Jonson

GB,

It wasn't the council that had it listed, it was the Modernist Society (Manchester Branch)

Manchester Modernist Society - St Jude's Link

I have to disagree with you there, Golden Bear, I think the concrete & stained glass windows of St Jude's together create a fantastic building. I like to think it's Wigan's version of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Liverpool, which I also love.

Nobody has answered my question. Why does it say Ben Jonson and Walkers Ales on the cottages on the other side of the road from the Ben Jonson. I would love to know.

Marie M

If you look at the outline of the pub on this 1849 map you can see that it fits that of the stone cottages adjacent to what is now the Ben Johnson.
This suggests that the stone cottages were the original Ben Johnson hence the advertising on the southern end wall.

Marie M

The original Ben Johnson was a Pembertons Brewery inn.
When Pemberton's was taken over by Walker's, they extended it (the brick extension, with the 'Walkers Ales' on the side).
Then it was bought off Walker's by Oldfield's brewery.
Oldfield's Brewery had the new Ben Jonson built in 1901 / 1902.

Probably!

A recent feature on St Jude’s Church by Steve Marland in his blog, Modern Mooch:

“In 1962 Tobin wrote to the Archbishop of Liverpool George Andrew Beck with his proposals for a new, permanent church, suggesting that the church should be dedicated either to St Jude or Our Lady of the Assumption.

Beck replied on 15 March:

My dear Father Tobin, Many thanks for your letter. I like your suggestion of St. Jude as a patron of the new church. We already have a parish in honour of The Assumption but none, so far as I know, to St. Jude. I assume that you do not intend to suggest by this title that Wigan is a hopeless case!

The Liverpool architects L A G Prichard & Sons were engaged and work began in the summer of 1963.”

Link: modernmooch.com (Feb 2022)

"(St. Jude.) I assume that you do not intend to suggest by this title that Wigan is a hopeless case!"

I take it that nobody pointed out, to the Archbishop of Liverpool, that the church wasn't going to be built in Wigan?

Some good comments and info there Tonks