All Saints' Church, Wigan Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church, Wigan
Wigan Parish Church
All Saints' Church, Wigan, from the west
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OS grid reference	SD 582,057
Location	Wallgate, Wigan, Greater Manchester
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Wigan Parish Church
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	24 October 1951
Architect(s)	Sharpe and Paley (rebuilding) E. G. Paley (addition to tower)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Perpendicular, Gothic Revival
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone,
Administration
Parish	Wigan
Deanery	Wigan
Archdeaconry	Wigan
Diocese	Liverpool
Province	York

All Saints' Church is an Anglican parish church located in Wallgate, Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. It is part of the Diocese of Liverpool. This historic church is recognized as a Grade II* listed building, meaning it is a very important historical site. It stands proudly on a hill in the middle of Wigan town.

History of All Saints' Church
- Early Beginnings and Rebuilding Work
- Later Additions and Restorations
Architecture of the Church
The Church Organ
- History of the Organ
- Modern Organ and Notable Organists
Outside Features
- War Memorial and Churchyard Walls
Gallery
See also

History of All Saints' Church

Early Beginnings and Rebuilding Work

The oldest parts of All Saints' Church are found in the lower sections of its tower. These parts date back to the late 1200s. The top part of the tower, called the belfry (where the bells are), was likely added in the 1500s.

Between 1845 and 1850, most of the church was rebuilt. Only the tower, a chapel on the north side, and two small turrets between the chancel and nave were kept from the old church. The architects in charge of this big project were Sharpe and Paley from Lancaster. The rebuilding cost about £15,065, which was a lot of money back then!

Later Additions and Restorations

In 1861, E. G. Paley, one of the original architects, added another section to the tower. This new section included clock faces and decorative spires called pinnacles. The church was also repaired and its outside walls were partly redone in 1922. Since then, more repairs and restorations have taken place to keep the church in good condition.

Architecture of the Church

Outside the Church

The church is built using sandstone. Its design follows the Perpendicular Gothic style, which was popular in the Middle Ages. This style is known for its tall, slender look and large windows.

The church's layout includes a long main hall called a nave, and a chancel, which is the area near the altar. Both the nave and chancel have a clerestory, which is a high section of wall with windows to let in light. There are also side aisles, a porch, a north chapel, and a tower where the nave and chancel meet. A small room called a vestry is located north of the chancel.

You can still see two octagonal (eight-sided) turrets from the medieval church between the nave and chancel. These turrets have decorative caps. Along the sides of the church, there are walls with battlements (like on a castle) and more pinnacles. The large windows at the front and back of the church are very impressive, with many sections for glass.

Inside the Church

Interior of All Saints' Church, Wigan

Inside, the church has tall arches supported by columns with a special four-leaf clover shape called quatrefoil piers. The ceiling is decorated with a pattern of sunken panels, known as coffering. There are also special seats from 1850. The reredos (a screen behind the altar) and the pulpit (where sermons are given) were designed by Paley.

The font, used for baptisms, has an eight-sided bowl with a quatrefoil pattern. It even includes a piece from the 1300s or 1400s. The screen separating the chancel was designed in 1901 by W. D. Caroe.

Interestingly, a Roman altar is built into one of the north windows. The church also has beautiful stained glass windows. Some fragments in the north window are from the 1400s and were put back together in 1956–57. Other windows from the 1800s were made by famous artists like William Wailes and Clayton and Bell.

Monuments and Bells

You can find several monuments inside the church. In the south chapel, there are two badly damaged statues believed to be of Sir William de Bradshaigh and his wife, Mabel. Sir William founded a special chapel for prayers (a chantry) in the church in 1338. The female statue was recut, and the male statue was copied around 1850 by the sculptor John Gibson.

There are also memorials to James Bankes (died 1689) and John Baldwin (died 1726). On the east wall of the chapel, you'll see marble monuments to the 23rd Earl of Crawford (died 1825) and his wife, and to the wife of the 24th Earl of Crawford (died 1850). The church has a set of ten bells, all cast in 1935 by John Taylor & Co.

The Church Organ

History of the Organ

The first record of an organ in All Saints' Church dates back to 1620. A new organ built in 1623 was unfortunately destroyed by soldiers in 1643. In 1714, another organ was built. It was placed on a screen, blocking the view of the chancel.

This organ stayed until 1844, when a new one was installed. This instrument was later rebuilt in 1867 and moved several times within the church. The main organ case, designed by Paley, dates from 1877.

Modern Organ and Notable Organists

In 1901, when Sir Edward Bairstow was the organist, the instrument was rebuilt again. Most of the old parts were kept, but many new ones were added. Further work was done in 1906 and 1948. The most recent major rebuild happened in 1963. This work was done by William Hill and Son and Norman and Beard, who had a long history with the church.

The organ's old mechanical system was replaced with an electro-pneumatic system, and a new control panel was placed in the Crawford Chapel. Many talented organists have played at All Saints' Church over the centuries. Some well-known past organists include Walter Parratt, who later became the Master of the King's Music, and Edward Bairstow, who became organist of York Minster. The current organist is Karl Greenall.

Outside Features

War Memorial and Churchyard Walls

To the south of the church, in a small garden, stands a war memorial from 1925. It was designed by the famous architect Giles Gilbert Scott and is also a Grade II* listed building. Made of Portland stone, it has bronze plaques listing the names of those who died in both World Wars.

Around the churchyard, there are other important structures listed as Grade II. These include the churchyard's boundary wall and two archways, the gate pillars at the north entrance, railings around the church, and two sections of the churchyard wall. These features add to the historical importance of the church grounds.

Gallery

Detail from the south face
Tower
War memorial

All Saints' Church, Wigan facts for kids

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