Church of St Mary and St Michael, Bonds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary and St Michael, Bonds |
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The Church of St Mary and St Michael, Bonds,
from the southwest |
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| OS grid reference | SD 494,449 |
| Location | Bonds, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | St Mary and St Michael, Bonds |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 9 January 1986 |
| Architect(s) | E. G. Paley |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1857 |
| Completed | 1858 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, slate roofs |
The Church of St Mary and St Michael is a beautiful Roman Catholic church. You can find it in the village of Bonds, which is just south of Garstang, England. It's still an active church today! This special building is listed as a Grade II listed building, meaning it's an important historical site. It belongs to the diocese of Lancaster.
Contents
History of the Church
This church was built between 1857 and 1858. It took the place of an older chapel in Garstang. The famous architect E. G. Paley from Lancaster designed the church. He also designed the house for the priest (called a presbytery), the schools, and the schoolmaster's house.
The church was big enough to seat 600 people. The whole project cost about £7,000 back then. That would be a lot of money today! People who wrote about buildings called it a "big solid job." They also said it was "by far the largest and most imposing [church] of the town."
Architecture of St Mary and St Michael
Outside the Church
The church is made from sandstone rubble, which means rough, uneven stones. Its roofs are covered with slate. The church has a main area called a nave with five sections. It also has a chancel, which is the area near the altar. These two parts share one continuous roof.
On the north side, there is an aisle and a special small chapel called a Lady chapel. There is also a porch on the north side. At the west end of the church, there is a tall tower. This tower has three levels and strong corner supports called buttresses. It has a flat top with a decorative wall called an embattled parapet. A small stair turret rises even higher than the tower, topped with a tiny spire.
On the front of the tower, there is an arched doorway and a window with three sections. The windows along the sides of the church have two sections. They are separated by buttresses. The chapel's east end has a two-section window. The main east window of the chancel has five sections. The chancel roof also has a small window sticking out, called a dormer window, on each side.
Inside the Church
Inside, you'll see rows of pointed arches. These arches are supported by round columns with decorated tops, called capitals. At the back of the church, there is a balcony or gallery. The nave has an open timber roof, showing the wooden beams. The chancel has a curved roof, like the inside of a barrel.
The church has a large, decorative screen behind the altar called a reredos. It is made of Caen stone and has arched designs. Both the altar and the rail in front of it have shiny marble parts. Near the entrance to the sacristy (a room for priests and church items), there is a stoup. This is a basin for holy water, and it has a stone from 1639!
The colorful stained glass windows were made in the late 1800s. They were probably created by a company called Hardman. The church also has a large organ in the west gallery. It has two manuals (keyboards). Henry Ainscough and Company from Preston built it in 1949. Dr. J. Reginald Dixon, who designed the organ at Lancaster Cathedral, also designed this organ's case. The organ was repaired in 1989.
See also
- Listed buildings in Barnacre-with-Bonds
- List of ecclesiastical works by E. G. Paley
