St Peter's Church, Mawdesley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, Mawdesley |
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St Peter's Church, Mawdesley, from the west
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| OS grid reference | SD 489,143 |
| Location | Church Lane, Mawdesley, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Peter Mawdesley |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 30 January 1987 |
| Architect(s) | Edmund Sharpe, Peter Balmer, Richard Knill Freeman |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1839 |
| Completed | 1892 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, slate roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Peter, Mawdesley |
| Deanery | Chorley |
| Archdeaconry | Blackburn |
| Diocese | Blackburn |
| Province | York |
St Peter's Church is a beautiful old church located on High Street in the village of Mawdesley, Lancashire, England. It's an active Anglican parish church, which means it's part of the Church of England and still holds services regularly.
This church is also a "Grade II listed building." This means it's an important historical building protected by the National Heritage List for England because of its special history and architecture.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
St Peter's Church was designed in 1838 by a famous architect named Edmund Sharpe from Lancaster. Building work started in 1839 and finished in 1840. Back then, it cost about £950 to build, which was a lot of money at the time!
The land for the church was kindly given by Sir Thomas D. Hesketh. When it first opened, the church could seat 400 people. Later, in 1878–79, a part of the church called the chancel was added by another architect, Peter Balmer. The church was also "restored" in 1892 by Richard Knill Freeman, which means it was repaired and updated.
What the Church Looks Like
St Peter's Church is built from sandstone and has a roof made of slate. It has a long main hall called a nave and a special area at the front called a chancel. There's also a tall, thin tower at the west end of the church.
Windows and Doors
On the north side of the church, the end section of the nave has a pointed roof (a gable) and tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. On the south side, there's an arched doorway. The other parts of the church have tall, rectangular windows with two sections.
The large window at the east end of the church has five sections and is in a style called "Perpendicular Gothic." The tower has strong supports called buttresses. The bottom part of the tower used to have open arches, but these have been filled in with windows and a main door.
The Tower and Inside
Above the main part of the tower, there are openings for the bells. The very top of the tower has a stepped wall with decorative points called pinnacles. On top of all this is a slender, eight-sided spire that reaches high into the sky.
Inside the church, there's a gallery at the west end, which is like a balcony, supported by two strong metal columns. The church's organ, which makes music, was built around 1900 by Wilkinson and Sons. St Peter's Church looks quite similar to another church nearby, St John the Baptist's Church, Bretherton, which was also designed by Edmund Sharpe.
Outside the Church
In the churchyard, which is the area around the church, you can find the graves of three soldiers from World War I and one airman from World War II. These are looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
See also
- Listed buildings in Mawdesley
- List of architectural works by Edmund Sharpe
