St Thomas' Church, Ashton-in-Makerfield facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Thomas' Church, Ashton-in-Makerfield
St Thomas' Church, Ashton-in-Makerfield, from the south
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OS grid reference	SJ 577,990
Location	Warrington Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Thomas, Ashton-in-Makerfield
History
Status	Parish church
Consecrated	6 July 1893
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	7 December 1966
Architect(s)	F. H. Oldham, Henry Paley
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1891
Completed	1930
Specifications
Materials	Stone
Administration
Parish	St Thomas, Ashton-in-Makerfield
Deanery	Wigan
Archdeaconry	Warrington
Diocese	Liverpool
Province	York

St Thomas' Church is a historic church located on Warrington Road in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, which means it's a local church serving its community as part of the Church of England. The church is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building, meaning it's an important building with special historical or architectural value.

History of the Church

A small church, called a chapel of ease, stood on this spot as early as 1515. This first chapel was rebuilt in 1714. The new chapel had a cross shape, known as a cruciform plan, and was officially opened in 1746. It was made bigger in 1782 and again in 1815. This older chapel was built in the Georgian style.

The church you see today was built between 1891 and 1893. It was designed by F. H. Oldham from Manchester and could seat about 500 people. The church was officially opened on 6 July 1893 by Bishop J. C. Ryle, who was the Bishop of Liverpool. Later, in 1929–30, an architect named Henry Paley added a new room called a vestry for the church. This addition cost £506, which would be worth a lot more money today! The church tower originally had a special roof shape called a saddleback roof, but this was removed in the 1960s.

Church Design and Features

Outside the Church

St Thomas' Church is built from stone and has a concrete tile roof. The church has a main area called the nave, with side sections known as aisles. It also has a chancel where the altar is, and rooms for the organ and other church activities called vestries. At the west end of the church is a tall tower.

The tower has entrances on its north and south sides. It features a large window on the west side with detailed stone patterns called tracery. There's a small, round tower with stairs at the northwest corner. The openings for the bells have special wooden slats, called louvres, and there are clock faces on three sides of the tower. The top edge of the tower has a battlement design, like a castle, and a gargoyle on the east side. Along the sides of the church, you'll see many windows, some with three lights (sections) and others with one or two. The upper windows, in the clerestory, mostly have three lights.

Inside the Church

Inside, the main arches that separate the nave from the aisles are supported by eight-sided pillars. These pillars do not have decorative tops, which are usually called capitals. The arch leading to the chancel is decorated with Tudor roses, which are a symbol of England. On the north side of the chancel, there is a small basin called a piscina, which was used for washing holy vessels.

Some items from the older church are still here. These include a beautiful chandelier, the wooden case for the organ from 1826, and the Royal arms of King William IV. There are also old monuments from the 1700s. Most of the colorful stained glass windows were made by A. L. Moore. The large east window, made in 1897, celebrates Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years of her rule.

The church's pipe organ has a long history. The original organ was made in 1826. It was updated in 1890 and then moved into the new church in 1905. It was moved again in 1962 and refurbished in 1988, so it's been helping with music for a very long time!

Churchyard and Memorials

The churchyard around St Thomas' Church contains the graves of people who served in the military. There are war graves for eight service members from the First World War and three from the Second World War. In a separate part of the churchyard, on Heath Lane, there are graves for ten service members from the First World War and four from the Second World War. These graves are a reminder of the sacrifices made during these wars.

See also

• Listed buildings in Ashton-in-Makerfield
• List of churches in Greater Manchester
• List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1916–44)