St Mary's Church, Preston facts for kids
St Mary's Church is located on St Mary's Street in Preston, Lancashire, England. It used to be a church for the Anglican faith, but it's not used for services anymore. In 2006, it was turned into a special centre for looking after old things. This church is a very important building, listed as Grade II, which means it's a building of national importance.
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Preston |
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| OS grid reference | SD 549 297 |
| Location | St Mary's Street, Preston, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Former parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 27 September 1979 |
| Architect(s) | John Latham, E. H. Shellard |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Romanesque Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1836 |
| Completed | 1838 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, slate roof |
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church was built because the number of people in Preston was growing fast in the early 1800s. Construction started in May 1836, and the church opened its doors in 1838.
The original design was by an architect named John Latham. Later, between 1852 and 1856, the church was made bigger. E. H. Shellard added new parts called transepts and a chancel, making sure they matched the original style.
The church stopped being used for regular services on March 1, 1996. This is called being "redundant." In 2006, it was given a new purpose. It became a special centre for the Museum of Lancashire, where old and important items can be looked after.
Architecture and Design
The church is built from sandstone and has a roof made of slate. It faces north and south, which is a bit unusual for a church. Its style is called Romanesque Revival. This means it looks like buildings from the Romanesque period, which was a long time ago.
The church has a main hall called a nave with five sections. It also has two side sections, the east and west transepts, and a special area at the end called the chancel. All the windows in the church have a round top, like an arch.
At the south end of the church, there is a tall tower with two smaller sections on either side. The tower has four levels. The bottom level has a round-topped doorway with fancy decorations. The two levels above it each have a window with three parts. The next two levels are set back a bit and have openings for bells. The very top of the tower has a round part with cylinders at the corners. On top of this is a tall, pointed spire with small windows called lucarnes.
The sections next to the tower are about the same height as the tower's first level. They both have round-topped doorways with a window above them. The sides of the nave have windows set in round arches, and columns called pilasters divide the sections. The transepts also have columns, and at the corners, these rise into two-level turrets with blind arches and pointed caps. The chancel has three tall, narrow windows, with a round window above them.
Outside the Church
The gates, the gate posts, and the walls around the churchyard are also important. They are listed as Grade II, just like the church itself. The walls and gate posts are made of sandstone. The posts are square with decorated sides and flat tops that look like pyramids.
The walls form the boundary on the east and south sides of the churchyard. They have twelve gate posts that look similar to the main gate posts. The gates themselves have railings with spear-shaped tops. Some parts of the wall have matching railings, but other railings were changed in the 1900s.
Why St Mary's Church is Important
St Mary's Church was officially listed as a Grade II building on September 27, 1979. The gates, gate posts, and walls were listed later, on December 20, 1991.
Being listed as Grade II means a building is "of national importance and special interest." It's the lowest of the three listing grades, but it still means the building is very special.
Experts like Hartwell and Pevsner, who wrote about England's buildings, have commented on St Mary's Church. They said that the church's shape seems to be inspired by the tall, pointed decorations at the west end of Tewkesbury Abbey. They also noted that the way the architectural parts are put together reminds them of the work of famous architects like Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor.
See also
- Listed buildings in Preston, Lancashire
