Church of St Mary of the Assumption, Burnley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary of the Assumption, Burnley
Church from the northwest
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OS grid reference	SD 846 325
Location	Yorkshire Street, Burnley, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	Parish of the Good Samaritan, Burnley
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	29 September 1977
Architect(s)	Weightman and Hadfield
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival (Decorated)
Groundbreaking	1846
Completed	1879
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone, slate roof
Administration
Diocese	Salford

The Church of St Mary of the Assumption is a beautiful old church located on Yorkshire Street in Burnley, Lancashire, England. It's a busy Roman Catholic church that serves the local community as part of the Salford diocese. This church is very special because it's listed as a Grade II historic building in the National Heritage List for England.

The church was built between 1846 and 1849. It replaced an older, smaller chapel that was on a different site. The famous architects Weightman and Hadfield designed the church in a style called Decorated Gothic. Later, in 1879, a new chapel was added to the church.

History of St Mary's Church

For a long time, before the 1800s, Roman Catholics in the Burnley area went to church at a chapel inside Towneley Hall.

How the Parish Started

The St Mary's parish officially began in 1819. This was when a chapel, sometimes called Burnley Wood Chapel or St Mary's Chapel, was built. It was located on Todmorden Road, close to the entrance of Towneley Park. Peregrine Edward Towneley built this first chapel.

Building the Current Church

The church you see today was built between 1846 and 1849. It was designed by the architects Weightman and Hadfield. The land for the church was given by the Towneley family, and the stone used to build it came from a quarry on their land near Todmorden.

The church officially opened in August 1849. A very important person, Cardinal Wiseman, gave the sermon at the opening.

The Towneley Chapel

In 1879, a special chapel was added to the north side of the church. This chapel is known as the Towneley Chapel. It was built to remember Colonel John Towneley and his son Richard. They were the last male members of the Towneley family who lived at Towneley Hall. The chapel was dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels. This name might be connected to John's daughter, Mary, who became a nun and took the name 'Sister Marie des Saints Anges'.

Church Design and Features

The Church of St Mary of the Assumption is built from sandstone and has slate roofs. It is designed in the Decorated Gothic style, which is known for its beautiful, detailed decorations.

Outside the Church

The church has a main area called the nave with five sections, and a high row of windows called a clerestory. On either side of the nave are north and south aisles. There are also north and south transepts, which are like arms extending from the main part of the church. At the front, there's a chancel with chapels on its north and south sides.

The church has a tower at the west end, but it was never fully finished. It has two main levels. The tower stands on a decorative base with strong corner buttresses and a spiral staircase on the northeast side. There's a main doorway on the west side, and above it is a large window with five sections. At the very top of this window, there's a small, covered niche holding a statue.

The high windows in the clerestory have two sections each. Along the sides of the aisles, you'll see more buttresses and windows with three sections. In the second section of each aisle, there's a porch with a pointed roof. The transepts also have buttresses and windows with different patterns of stone work, called tracery. The south transept even has a round window. The large east window in the chancel has five sections, and above it is a special three-part niche with a statue of the Virgin Mary.

Inside the Church

Inside the church, the arches that separate the aisles from the main nave are supported by alternating round and eight-sided pillars, called piers. The altar, which is the main table in the church, was carved with rich details in the 1860s by E. W. Pugin.

The Towneley Chapel has dark wooden panels and paintings with gold backgrounds. It also features beautiful iron gates. In the nave, there are many stained glass windows from the late 1800s. These were made by a company called Mayer of Munich. The church also has a large pipe organ with two keyboards, built by Gray and Davidson in 1855. This organ is so special that it has been given a Historic Organ Certificate.

Other Buildings and Features

Around the church, on its north and south sides, there are cast iron railings. These railings are separated by posts topped with decorative fleur-de-lis shapes. On the north side, there's a gateway with stone pillars in the Gothic style, and between them are fancy cast iron gates.

To the east of the church, you'll find a Franciscan convent, which includes its own chapel, and a presbytery. A presbytery is the house where the priests live.

Why St Mary's Church is Important

St Mary's Church was officially recognized as a Grade II listed building on September 29, 1977. Being a Grade II listed building means it is considered "nationally important and of special interest." This is the lowest of three grades, but it still means the building is very significant. The iron railings and gate pillars outside the church are also included in this historic listing. The Franciscan convent and the presbytery next to the church were also designated as Grade II listed buildings on the same date.

See also

• Listed buildings in Burnley
• Places of worship in Burnley