John Rylands Library pitched roof over its reinforced concrete roof. Champneys designed a pitched roof but Mrs Rylands was advised that an internal stone vault would reduce the fire risk and it was not built. The £17 million project was completed by summer 2007 and the library reopened on 20 September 2007. By the nineteenth century Manchester was a prosperous industrial town and the demands of cotton manufacturing stimulated the growth of engineering and chemical industries. The town became 'abominably filthy' and was 'often covered, especially during the winter, with dense fogs ... there is at all times a copious descent of soots
Mark Rylands Mark Rylands Mark James Rylands (born 11 July 1961) is a British Anglican bishop. From 2009 until 2018, he was the area Bishop of Shrewsbury in the Church of England. Rylands was born on 11 July 1961, the son of Michael Rylands and Denise née Bates. Michael was sometime Vicar of Wilton, Wiltshire, Rector of Malpas, Cheshire and honorary canon of Chester and Denise a scion of the Bates baronets (of Bellefield): her grandfather was Edward, 2nd Baronet. He was educated at Shrewsbury School and the College of St Hild and St Bede, Durham University, the latter whence he graduated