Angel Meadow

Image: © David Dixon Taken: 6 Aug 2018

What is now a pleasant city park between Aspin Lane and Old Mount Street was once the churchyard of St Michael's and All Angels Church which was built in 1788 and stood until 1935. It was originally built as a carriage church for wealthy Mancunians from the town, or for those who had taken up residence in the more fashionable houses of the area. Prior to its construction the Overseers of the Poor of Manchester had purchased the land adjoining the churchyard for use as a parochial Burial Ground to cater for the high rates of mortality that resulted from the overcrowded slum conditions of the area; a big influence on the philosopher Friedrich Engels who famously wrote about the pauper burial grounds in Manchester in his account of the Condition of the Working Classes in England (1844). The “new Burying Ground”, or “The Flags” as it later became known, was consecrated in 1787 to serve the grossly overcrowded Angel Meadow area and was the largest cemetery in Manchester. It was used for burying paupers who had no money for a proper burial. By 1816 the burial ground was full and closed down. Covered in flagstones, it then became a children's playground known as “St Michael’s Flags”. It has been estimated that there were more than 40000 bodies beneath the flags which remained in place until they were removed in 2001 when the site was renovated to create the park we see today. More information and photos at Manchester History Net http://manchesterhistory.net/manchester/tours/tour16/area16page8.html and Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Michael's_Flags_and_Angel_Meadow_Park .

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