St Michael and All Angels Church, Ashton-on-Ribble facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Michael and All Angels with St Mark Preston
Aspect from Tulketh Road
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OS grid reference	SD519301
Location	Egerton Road, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Michael and All Angels, Ashton on Ribble
History
Status	Parish church
Consecrated	2 July 1908
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Architect(s)	Austin and Paley
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1906
Completed	1915
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone, red tiled roofs
Administration
Deanery	Preston
Archdeaconry	Lancaster
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York

St Michael and All Angels with St Marks Church is a beautiful old church located in Ashton-on-Ribble, which is part of Preston, England. It's an active Anglican church, meaning it's part of the Church of England. This church is a very important building, listed as a Grade II* listed building, which means it has special historical or architectural importance.

History of the Church

St Michael's Church was built because the number of people living in the area was growing. It started as a smaller church connected to St Andrew's Church, Ashton-on-Ribble.

Building the Church

The first stone for St Michael's was placed in September 1906. The church was officially opened and blessed by the Bishop of Manchester on July 2, 1908. At that time, only the front part (chancel), the organ, and some of the main hall (nave) were finished. This first part cost about £6,047, which was a lot of money back then!

The church was designed by famous architects named Austin and Paley from Lancaster. The rest of the main hall (nave) was finished in July 1915. However, the top part of the tower, which was planned, was never built.

Becoming Its Own Parish

In December 1929, St Michael's became its own separate church area, called a parish. Later, in 1993, it joined with St Mark's Church in Preston. Then, in April 2006, it also joined with St Andrew's Church in Ashton-on-Ribble. Now, these three churches work together as the West Preston Team.

Church Architecture

St Michael's Church is made from sandstone with red tiled roofs. It's built in a style called Perpendicular Gothic, which was popular in the Arts and Crafts time.

Outside the Church

The church has a main hall (nave) and a front part (chancel) all in one line. It also has a row of windows high up (clerestory) and side sections (aisles). On the south side, there's a porch, the unfinished tower, and a small chapel. On the north side, you'll find a transept (a part that sticks out), a room for the clergy (vestry), and a connected parish hall.

The high windows (clerestory) have two sections, with ten on the north side and seven on the south. The windows in the side sections (aisles) are square-shaped with stone dividers. At the very front (west end) of the church, there's a large window with five sections. Above the door in the south porch, there's a carving of Saint Michael.

The tower is tall with strong supports at the corners. It has a doorway on the south side with a five-section window above it. The top of the tower has a pyramid-shaped roof. The east end of the church has a short, angled sanctuary with strong supports. The east window has five sections. The chapel has two windows on the south side and a four-section window on the east side, with a decorative top edge.

Inside the Church

Inside, the main hall has five sections supported by eight-sided pillars. The colorful glass in the east window was made in 1968 by Harry Stammers. Other windows from the early 1900s were likely made by Shrigley and Hunt. The church also has a large organ with three keyboards, built in 1934 by Henry Ainscough. It was updated by the same maker in 1953.

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
• Listed buildings in Preston, Lancashire
• List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1895–1916)