St Joseph's Church, Preston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Joseph's Church, Preston |
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St Joseph's Church, Preston, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | SD 553 301 |
| Location | Skeffington Road, Preston, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Joseph |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 20 December 1991 |
| Architect(s) | J. O'Byrne |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1873 |
| Completed | 1874 |
| Construction cost | £8,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick with sandstone dressings, slate roof |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Lancaster |
St Joseph's Church is a beautiful old church located on Skeffington Road in Preston, Lancashire, England. It is an active Roman Catholic church, meaning it is still used for religious services today. The church is part of the Diocese of Lancaster. Because of its special history and design, St Joseph's Church is officially protected as a Grade II listed building. This means it is an important building that should be preserved.
Contents
History of St Joseph's Church
This church was built between 1873 and 1874. It was designed by an architect named J. O'Byrne. The church was built in an area of Preston where many cotton mills were located. It was named after Saint Joseph, who is known as the patron saint of workers. This was a fitting dedication for a church in a busy industrial area.
Building the church cost about £8,000 at the time. Later, in 1897, the church was improved with new decorations. Some special religious artworks called the Stations of the Cross were also added. These improvements cost an extra £2,000.
Church Architecture and Design
St Joseph's Church has a unique and interesting design. It is built using red bricks, with special sandstone details. The roof is made of slate.
Outside the Church
The church's layout includes a main hall called the nave. It also has north and south aisles, which are like side passages. There is a special area for the altar called the sanctuary, with smaller chapels on the sides. All these parts are connected. There is also a north vestry, which is a room used by the clergy, and a west porch at the entrance.
The front of the church, called the west end, has a pointed roof, or gable. It is divided into three parts by stepped buttresses, which are strong supports built into the walls. There are similar supports at the corners. In the middle, a porch sticks out, also with a gable. This porch has an arched doorway with fancy decorative moulding. On each side of the doorway are tall, narrow windows called lancet windows.
Above the porch, there are three tall, stepped windows, each with two sections, set within a round arch. On either side of these, there is a similar window with a decorative arch above it, called a hood mould. Along the sides of the church, there are six sections, or bays, separated by more stepped buttresses. Five of these sections have three lancet windows each. The section at the east end has a pointed roof and a round window called a wheel window. The back of the church, which is rounded (called apsidal), has a large east window made of five lancet windows.
Inside the Church
Inside, St Joseph's Church has a very impressive "hall-type interior." The rows of arches, called arcades, are supported by shiny columns made of pink granite. The ceiling of the nave is shaped like a half-barrel, which is called barrel vaulted.
The sanctuary and the side chapels have beautiful floors made of mosaic tiles. At the west end of the church, there is a gallery, which is a raised platform, with a wooden front that has arches.
The reredos, which is a decorative screen behind the altar, is very detailed and carved. It has a central pointed arch, called a crocketed canopy, with a small spire. On the sides, there are smaller arches with pointed decorations called gablets. The reredos also has marble columns, and inside the side arches, there are life-sized statues.
The pulpit, where sermons are given, is made of marble and has eight sides. It features statues placed in arched niches, which are small alcoves in the wall. A curved staircase leads up to the pulpit. The beautiful stained glass in the east window was made by a company called Mayer of Munich. Other stained glass windows in the church were created by Casolini of St Helens.
Other Buildings Nearby
To the east of the church, there is a brick building called a presbytery. This is where the church's priest lives. It is built in the Gothic style, similar to the church, and has a porch with decorative battlements, which is called crenellated.
To the southeast of the church, you can find the building that used to be the church's school. This old school building has a tower with a pointed, pyramid-shaped roof, called a pyramidal spire. The tower also has three arched openings where bells would have been.
See also
- Listed buildings in Preston, Lancashire
