St Mary the Virgin's Church, Walney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary the Virgin's Church, Walney
St Mary the Virgin's Church, Walney, from the south
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OS grid reference	SD 185,686
Location	Promenade, Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Mary the Virgin, Walney
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Mary the Virgin
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	6 May 1976
Architect(s)	Austin and Paley
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1907
Completed	1931
Administration
Parish	St Mary the Virgin, Walney Island
Deanery	Barrow
Archdeaconry	Westmorland and Furness
Diocese	Carlisle
Province	York

St Mary the Virgin's Church is a beautiful church located on the Promenade in Walney Island, which is part of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican church, meaning it is part of the Church of England. The church is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historic building that needs to be protected.

The Church's Story

The story of St Mary's Church goes back a long time! The first church on this spot was built around 1690. It replaced an even older church that was there before.

Building a New Church (1852-1853)

Later, in 1852–1853, a new church was built. It was designed by architects named Sharpe and Paley from Lancaster. This church cost about £520 back then. It was a smaller chapel without aisles and had a cool octagonal (eight-sided) bell tower. It could seat 184 people.

The Current Church (1907-1908)

However, Walney Island grew a lot! The number of people living there jumped from about 500 in 1891 to around 5,000 by 1903. Because of this, a much bigger church was needed. So, in 1907–1908, the current church was built. It was designed by the same architectural firm, now called Austin and Paley.

Adding More Space (1930-1931)

Even after that, the church needed more space! In 1930–1931, another section was added to the west end of the main part of the church (the nave). They also added a new room for the clergy (vestry) and a south porch. This work cost £4,597. There were plans to build a tall tower in the middle of the church, but it was never built.

Church Design and Features

St Mary's Church is built from strong sandstone and has roofs made of tile, slate, and lead. Its style is called Gothic Revival, which means it looks like churches from the medieval Gothic period, but it was built much later. It has special details from the Perpendicular Gothic style.

Inside the Church

The church has a main area called the nave with five sections (bays). It also has a raised section of windows (clerestory) and aisles on the north and south sides. There are also north and south transepts, which are like arms sticking out from the main body of the church. The chancel, where the altar is, has two sections, with a chapel on the south side and a vestry on the north.

The windows along the aisles have two or three sections of glass. The windows in the clerestory, high up, have four sections. At the very front of the church (the west end), there's a large window with four sections, with strong supports (buttresses) on either side. Above it is a round window with a four-leaf shape (quatrefoil). A cross sits on top of the roof's peak.

Special Details

Inside, you'll find an eight-sided font where baptisms happen. It stands on small columns. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is made of oak and sits on a stone base. The beautiful stained glass in the east window was designed by R. R. Nichol for Abbott and Company around 1990. The church also has a two-manual pipe organ made by Wadsworth and Company from Manchester.

See also

• List of works by Sharpe and Paley
• List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1895–1914)
• List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1916–44)