St Saviour's Church, Astley Bridge facts for kids

St Saviour's Church was a special church in Deane Road, Deane, a part of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It was an Anglican church, which means it belonged to the Church of England.

A Look Back: The Church's Story

St Saviour's Church was built a long time ago, between 1882 and 1885. It cost about £20,000 back then. This money was given by Thomas Greenhalgh, who owned a mill. He got the money from his brother, Nathaniel, who passed away in 1877.

This church was one of two churches built with Nathaniel's money. The other church was called All Souls Church. Both churches were designed by famous architects from Lancaster, named Paley and Austin. St Saviour's Church was taken down in 1975.

What the Church Looked Like

The church was made of red brick with special stone decorations from Longridge. It had a tall tower at the west end. This tower had a fancy top with steps and pointed parts called pinnacles. The tower reached a height of about 41.8 meters.

The main part of the church, called the nave, was about 26.2 meters long and 15.2 meters wide. It had five sections. There were also large parts sticking out on the sides, called transepts. These led to walkways, or aisles, on the north and south sides of the chancel, which is the area near the altar. The church could seat 804 people.

It had a large east window with seven sections. This window had beautiful stained glass made by artists named Burlison and Grylls. There was also a west window with stained glass by Shrigley and Hunt. A famous expert on buildings, Nikolaus Pevsner, said it was "one of their [Paley and Austin's] noblest churches." This means he thought it was one of the best churches designed by those architects.

The Church Bells

St Saviour's Church had a set of eight bells. These bells were made in 1885 by a company called John Taylor in Loughborough. After the church closed, the bells were moved. They went to the Church of St Peter, which is also known as Bolton Parish Church. There, they became part of a larger set of twelve bells. Between 1890 and 1970, the bells were rung many times for special occasions.

See also

• List of ecclesiastical works by Paley and Austin