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	St Mary, 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 in Burnley, Lancashire, England. It's a Roman Catholic church that's still used today. This church is so special that it's officially protected as a Grade II listed building. It was built a long time ago, between 1846 and 1849. The church was designed by Weightman and Hadfield in a style called Decorated Gothic. Later, in 1879, a special chapel was added to it.

History of St Mary's Church

For many years, Roman Catholics in the Burnley area went to a chapel inside Towneley Hall for worship. In 1819, a new parish (church area) was created for St Mary's. A chapel called Burnley Wood Chapel was built on Todmorden Road.

The church you see today was built between 1846 and 1849. The land for the church was given by the Towneley family. The stone used to build it came from a quarry on their land. The church officially opened in August 1849. A very important person, Cardinal Wiseman, gave the first sermon.

In 1879, a special chapel was added to the north side of the church. This 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 named after "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'.

Architecture and Design

The Church of St Mary of the Assumption is built using sandstone and has slate roofs. Its design follows the Decorated Gothic style.

Outside the Church

The church has a main area called the nave. It has five sections, with windows high up (a clerestory). On either side of the nave are north and south aisles. There are also parts that stick out on the sides, called transepts. At the front, there's a chancel (the area around the altar) with chapels on its north and south sides.

The church also 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 (a moulded plinth) and has strong supports (angle buttresses). There's also a spiral staircase built into the corner.

At the front of the church, there's a main entrance doorway. Above it is a large window with five sections. At the very top of this window, there's a covered space (a canopied 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 (a gabled porch).

The transepts also have buttresses and windows with different patterns (varied tracery). The south transept even has a round window. The large window at the east end of the chancel has five sections. Above it, there's a special three-part space with a fancy, spiky frame (a crocketed surround). This space holds a statue of the Virgin Mary.

Inside the Church

Inside, the arches (arcades) that separate the aisles from the nave are supported by columns (piers). These columns switch between being round and octagonal. The beautifully carved altar, which dates back to the 1860s, was made by E. W. Pugin.

The Towneley Chapel has dark wooden panels and gold paintings. It also features decorative iron gates. In the nave, you can see amazing stained glass windows. These were made in the late 1800s by a company called Mayer of Munich. The church also has a large pipe organ with two keyboards (two-manual). It was built in 1855 by Gray and Davidson and has been recognized as a historically important organ.

Other Buildings Nearby

Around the church, you'll find cast iron railings. These railings are separated by posts with decorative fleur-de-lis (lily flower) tops. On the north side, there's a gateway with stone posts in the Gothic style. Between these posts are fancy cast iron gates.

To the east of the church, there's a Franciscan convent, which is a building where nuns live. It includes its own chapel. There's also a presbytery, which is the house where the church's priest lives.

Why St Mary's Church is Important

St Mary's Church was officially recognized as a Grade II listed building on September 29, 1977. Grade II is the lowest of the three levels of listing. It means the building is "nationally important and of special interest." The railings and gate posts around the church are also part of this listing. The Franciscan convent and the presbytery were also listed as Grade II buildings on the same day.

See also

• Listed buildings in Burnley
• Places of worship in Burnley

Images for kids

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  Church from the northwest