St Saviour's Church, Ringley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Saviour's Church, Ringley
St Saviour's Church, Ringley, from the southwest
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OS grid reference	SD 764,052
Location	Kearsley, Greater Manchester
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Saviour, Ringley
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	1625
Founder(s)	Nathan Walworth
Consecrated	10 June 1854
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	31 May 1966
Architect(s)	Charles Barry, Sharpe and Paley
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1850
Completed	1854
Specifications
Materials	Stone
Administration
Parish	Stoneclough
Deanery	Bolton
Archdeaconry	Bolton
Diocese	Manchester
Province	York

St Saviour's Church is a historic church located in Ringley, Kearsley, near Bolton, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, meaning it serves the local community. The church is part of the Diocese of Manchester. It is also a Grade II listed building, which means it is an important historical structure.

History of St Saviour's Church

The First Church (1625)

The very first church building was constructed in 1625. A man named Nathan Walworth, who was born in Ringley, generously donated this chapel.

There was a bit of a problem at first. The Bishop of Chester would not officially approve the building until money was set aside for its upkeep. This disagreement lasted for almost ten years! Nathan Walworth even threatened to tear the chapel down. Luckily, the issue was resolved, and the church was officially approved in December 1634.

The Bishop of Chester, John Bridgeman, chose the name 'St Saviour's Chapel'. He signed the official document on June 1, 1635.

In 1640, Nathan Walworth's will mentioned that he had also built a schoolhouse near the chapel. This school later fell down in 1798. A new one was built in its place, but it was also demolished when the current school opened in 1872.

The Second Church (1826)

A second church was built in 1826, very close to where the first one stood. It was officially opened on August 6, 1827. The architect for this church was Charles Barry, who was only 31 years old at the time. He later became very famous for designing the Houses of Parliament in London.

By 1854, this second church was too small for the growing number of people attending services. So, it was taken down. Only its tower remains today, standing by itself. This tower still has a stone from the original 1625 church. The stone has an inscription that says, 'Nathan Walworth Builded Mee. Anno Do 1625'.

The Current Church (1850-1854)

The church building you see today was constructed between 1850 and 1854. It was built a bit further back from the road, which is why the old tower stands alone. The new church was designed by architects Sharpe and Paley from Lancaster.

The total cost to build this church was about £2,500. A grant of £200 came from the Church Building Commissioners. The 13th Earl of Derby also gave £500 towards the cost. The church was officially opened on June 10, 1854, by Dr James Prince Lee, who was the Bishop of Manchester.

In 1898, the area around the church officially became its own parish. This happened during the time of Rev. James Henry Street.

Later Changes and Events

In 1904, the old tower was repaired and made two feet taller. A new clock was put in to celebrate 50 years of the third church. The tower was officially reopened in 1907.

To serve the growing community of Outwood, a smaller mission church called St. Aidan was opened in May 1914. In 1921, a choir vestry was added to St. Saviour's Church. Another mission church, St. Mary's, opened in 1924.

From 1941 to 1950, Rev. David Matthews was in charge. He stopped an old village tradition called "ducking the Mayor" in the canal. This custom involved choosing a "Mayor" during Ringley Wakes. The "Mayor" would visit all the local pubs and get free drinks, which often led to a lot of chaos. The ducking at the end of the day was quite risky. This custom was briefly brought back in the 1990s as a community event, but the last "ducking" happened in 2024 at the St Saviour's summer fete.

In the second half of the 20th century, St. Mary's church closed. St. Aidan's church was destroyed by fire in 1987.

In the early 1990s, St Saviour's parish joined with Holy Trinity, Prestolee. Major repairs also began on St Saviour's roof, heating system, stonework, and windows. In the early 2000s, more work was done to strengthen the chancel and update the choir vestry. This work was finished in 2002.

Architecture of St Saviour's Church

Outside the Church

The church is built from stone with smooth stone details. It has a stone slate roof. The building has a long main area called a nave with windows high up (a clerestory). There are also side sections called aisles, a porch on the north side, and a chancel (the area around the altar) with a vestry on the south.

At the southwest corner, there is an eight-sided tower called a turret. This turret has pointed arches for the bell openings and a spire at the top. At the west end of the church, there is a main entrance doorway. Above it are three tall windows, each with two sections.

Inside the Church

Some parts of the church's interior were moved from the older building. These include the chancel rails, which have a fancy rococo style. There is also a communion table in the north chapel that dates back to 1654. Some of the stained glass windows on the north side of the chancel are from the 17th century.

Later additions include a decorative screen behind the altar called a reredos and special seats for clergy called sedilia. These are made of alabaster and were added in 1879. They feature mosaic art and statues. A large beam with figures, called a rood beam, was added in 1925. There is also an altar with a canopy in a chapel at the northwest of the church, added in 1921.

Inside the church, you can also find memorials to important people. These include Matthew Fletcher, who owned the Wet Earth Colliery and passed away in 1808. There is also a memorial to his nephew, Ellis Fletcher, who passed away in 1834.

The Organ

St Saviour's has a large organ with three keyboards. It was built by Wilkinsons of Kendal. An inscription on the organ says it was given "To the Glory of GOD in commemoration of and thanksgiving for the reign of Victoria, Queen of England and Empress of India, December 12th, 1903".

The Fletcher Memorials

In the south aisle, there are special wall memorials for the Fletcher family. One is for Matthew Fletcher, who passed away in 1808. Another is for his nephew, Ellis Fletcher, who passed away in 1834. Ellis's wife, Mary, and their sons, John and Ellis, are also remembered.

The Fletchers owned several coal mines, including the Wet Earth Colliery. Matthew Fletcher was very important in getting the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal built. This canal helped transport coal and people.

The Separate Tower

Standing by itself near the road is the tower from the second church, built in 1826. A plaque above its door mentions it was built in 1625 (referring to the original church stone within it) and rebuilt in 1826. Another plaque mentions a vestry was added in 1726.

The tower has three levels. The lowest level has entrances, some of which are now blocked. The middle and upper levels have windows with stone dividers. On the top level, there is a clock face on each side. Above the clocks, there is a decorative border and a battlemented top with pointed decorations called pinnacles at each corner. This tower is also a Grade II listed building.

Churchyard

The churchyard is the area around the church where people are buried. It contains the graves of soldiers and airmen who died in the First World War and the Second World War.

See also

• Listed buildings in Kearsley
• List of works by Sharpe and Paley
• List of Commissioners' churches in Northeast and Northwest England