A good example of a medium-sized church by E.W. Pugin, which forms a group with the attached presbytery, also by Pugin. The interior has fine spatial qualities and some later fittings such as the stained glass add to the historic character.

The Anderton family of Euxton Hall maintained a chapel there from 1735 or earlier, which was used for worship by Catholics until land was given by George Garstang and a church built by Canon John Worthy with the aid of the Andertons. A major reordering took place in 1991 when the altar was brought forward, altar rails removed, sanctuary steps remodelled and reredos altered.

Description

See list description, below. This is accurate except that the gallery is at the liturgical west end of the building. Furnishings include an altar of 1888 brought forward, an early or mid-twentieth century painted reredos, and a painting of 1942 on the east wall of the sanctuary. Southeast baptistery with a font probably of circa 1865 with encaustic tiles in each of the faces. A lid is treated as a crocketed spire. A scheme of stained glass was installed in 1925-6. It is high quality work by an unknown firm. A carved wooden rood was brought from another church in 1991. A painted and stencilled interior scheme, also undertaken in 1991 is sympathetic and of high quality. Bench seating and the Stations of the Cross were installed during the 1960s.

List description

GV II

Church, 1864-5, by Edward Welby Pugin. Rock faced red sandstone, slate roof with some fishscale patterning. Nave with high aisles (no clerestory) a gabled porch at each end of south side, transepts, 3-sided apse. Five bays, Gableted angle-buttresses rising above eaves at each end, buttresses to aisles, transepts and porches; moulded sill band; except windows of porches, most openings have hoodmoulds with figured stops; aisles have 2-light lancet windows, east gable has at ground floor a row of 6 trefoil-headed lancets and above this 2 windows with reticulated tracery, between which is a pedestal to a niche above containing a statue of Madonna and child; porches have moulded arched doorways in the outer side walls, and elongated ogee- headed trefoil windows in the gables. West end (apse) has 9 small cusped lancets (3 in each side) set under the eaves; modern single storey brick extension now embracing apse incorporates original foundation stone.

Interior: nave arcade of alternately round and octagonal polished columns, all with simply moulded octagonal caps supporting moulded 2-centred arches; aisles have moulded pointed lateral arches springing from capitals of nave arcade. Wagon roof. East gallery carried on three 2-centred arches on small columns. Beneath floor at west end is family vault of Andertons of Euxton Hall (q.v.) now sealed.

History: drawings by Canon John Worthy (the parish priest who founded the church), now in presbytery, show that he contributed to the initial design of the church.

Listing NGR: SD5538619112

Heritage Details