A fine, little-altered building with a good interior and furnishings. It is the most prominent building of the village and, with the adjacent Notre Dame convent (formerly Lancaster House), forms a significant architectural grouping.

The church was built to serve a congregation which had hitherto had to travel some distance to St Peter and St Paul in Mawdesley (qv). The Ainscough family of Lancaster House, Parbold (now the convent) gave part of the grounds of the house as a site for the church, and the house was subsequently leased and later sold to the convent. Building commenced in 1878 and was completed incrementally at a final cost of £12,000.

The church was reordered in 2003 when the altar was moved to a forward position and the levels of the chancel were altered. Altar rails had already been removed.

Description

In addition to the list description (below) it can be noted that building started in 1878. Although the Early English architectural style is simple, the massing, particularly of the east end elements, and the fine proportions of the spire, are particularly  good. The interior lacks the usual gallery. The tall tower arch and answering chancel arch and the simplicity of the arcade detailing form a memorable spatial ensemble.  The high altar is especially impressive, set against a large rose window. It features large statues of angels bearing symbols of the Instruments of Passion. Flanking chapels also have good, lesser altars. That to the north is of one bay, that to the south of two, with an arcade to the chancel. There is a fairly good ensemble of principally early twentieth-century stained glass and a window of 1955 in the Lady Chapel.

List description

II

Roman Catholic church. 1884 by E. Kirby. Sandstone rubble with slate roofs. Comprises a west tower with spire, nave with clearstorey, north and south aisles, south porch, lower chancel, north transept, south chapel, and south vestry. Tower has angle buttresses and corner pinnacles, a bell stage with trefoiled lancet openings, and a 4-light west window with traceried head. The stone spire has lucarnes. The nave is of 5 bays. The clearstorey windows are triple stepped lancets. The aisles are lit by trefoiled lancets, mostly paired, separated by buttresses. The porch has a moulded pointed outer doorway. At the east end of the chancel is a rose window.

Interior: 5-bay nave arcades of pointed arches which have inner chamfers and outer mouldings, springing from round piers with moulded caps. The tower arch is pointed and chamfered in 4 orders which die into splayed responds. The chancel arch is also pointed and has paired engaged shafts as responds. The nave roof is boarded and has trusses with arched braces carried on corbelled wallposts. Arches open into the north transeptal chapel from the aisle and from the chancel. The south chapel has one arched entrance from the aisle and 2 arches opening into the chancel. The chancel has an arched ceiling divided by 2 ribs with stencil decoration. At the east end is a stone reredos with carved figures of saints and an elaborately carved and crocketed ciborium.

Heritage Details