New beginnings, the day the Didsbury College of Education transferred to the Birley Building in Hulme

Now the entrance to the new MMU Birley Building which houses the Faculty of Education my not have the history of its former home in Didsbury.

The old building dated back to the 18th century and while it had undergone change over the centuries there were bits which were recognizably from the period when it was built.

I have to say I was saddened at the news of the relocation.
It has served as an educational institution of sorts since it became a boarding school around 1812.

Later it was turned into a theological college and later still into teacher training college.

And before that was a private residence dating back to about 1744.

The stone cladding to what was originally a brick building was added by the Wesleyans when they took it over in 1841.

They also added the wings at either side and that is what generations of people from Didsbury have seen as they pass by.

Now I am not sure what the future holds for the site I suspect the listed buildings will be converted in to residential use and the newer buildings dating from the 1960s will be demolished and replaced with more flats and houses.

The Birley Building will have a lot to offer and I suspect will be so high tech that it will all but talk to the staff and students.

And there is elegance about the interior which can be seen in Pierre’s picture of the Spanish Steps which is an open meeting place for students and staff and was attracting both during last week.

So I suspect three will be more stories about the new building.

After all during the last months of the College in Didsbury I posted a lot of stories about its history and so it seems fitting that the series should continue.

Pictures; of the interior of Birley Buildings, September 2014 and the Admin block of the old Didsbury College, 2013-4, from the collection of Pierre Grace