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Salford Cathedral: 'Restoring the Glory' Heritage Restoration
ABM Tiling delivered 900+ m² of encaustic and Purbeck limestone flooring for Salford Cathedral's £20m 'Restoring the Glory' restoration with Simpson of York.
Chapel Street, Salford, Greater Manchester
Simpson (York)
Heritage restoration – Grade II* listed cathedral
£20 million
Completed – reopened 4 July 2026
Diocese of Salford (client); Purcell (project architects); Christopher Cotton (Cathedral Architect)
Project Overview
Salford Cathedral — the Cathedral Church of St John the Evangelist on Chapel Street — reopened on 4 July 2026 after a three-year, £20 million restoration. The 'Restoring the Glory' project, led by main contractor Simpson of York and conservation architects Purcell alongside Cathedral Architect Christopher Cotton, returned one of the country's finest Victorian churches to its original splendour while making it the most sustainable historic cathedral in the UK. At the heart of the scheme lies a new heritage floor: more than 900 m² of handcrafted encaustic tiling and contrasting Purbeck limestone, laid over underfloor heating, power and data — the first time the cathedral has been heated since 1850.
ABM Tiling's Role
ABM Tiling was appointed as the specialist heritage tiling and natural stone contractor for the new cathedral floor — a package that set the rhythm of the entire programme. We set out bespoke 25-panel encaustic bays, continuous border runs and coat-of-arms centrepieces by Craven Dunnill Jackfield so that the inlaid patterns flowed unbroken across the nave — in a building with no square walls — achieving setting-out tolerances tighter than domestic standard. The encaustic work sits within contrasting Grub and Thornback Purbeck limestone from Haysom Purbeck Stone, fixed and grouted with rapid-dry ARDEX and BAL systems specified for the sensitive stone, over a Jupiter dry underfloor heating system. Simpson construction director Mark Cregan's verdict: "The quality is exceptional. The finished product speaks for itself of how ABM have performed. You just need to look at the floor."
Why Partner with ABM
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Over 15 years delivering for Tier 1 contractors
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Dedicated contracts & programming team
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£10m public/product liability & CIS registered
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Proven track record on 200+ unit schemes
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Flexible resource to meet tight programmes
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Constructionline Gold Member
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Trusted partner to leading main contractors
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Highest health & safety standards on every project
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Nationwide capability from a Greater London base
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Proven track record on 200+ unit schemes
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