All Saints' Church, St Helens
Encyclopedia
All Saints' Church, St Helens, is located in Ellamsbridge Road, Sutton, St Helens
, Merseyside
, England. It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the deanery of Saint Helens, the archdeaconry of Warrington, and the diocese of Liverpool
. Its benefice is united with those of St Nicholas, Sutton
, and St Michael and All Angels, Sutton, to form the Sutton Team. The church has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building.
firm of architects, Paley, Austin and Paley. The land and a donation of £1,000 (£ as of ) were given by the lord of the manor
, William Pilkington of the Pilkington
glass manufacturing firm. The foundation stone was laid by Pilkington's daughter on 4 August 1891, and the church was consecrated
on 14 October 1893 by the Rt Revd John Ryle, Bishop of Liverpool
. The architects planned for a tower on the crossing
, but this was never built.
, and has cement-tile roofs. Its plan is cruciform, and consists of a five-bay
nave
with a clerestory
, north and south aisle
s, a southwest porch, north and south transept
s, and a two-bay chancel
with a chapel and a vestry
. The architectural style is Gothic Revival
. The windows in the aisles and clerestory have three lights, and those in the chapel and vestry have two lights. At the west end are buttress
es and a four-light window. The east window has five lights and contains staggered transoms
.
series describe the interior as being "impressive" and "dignified". The arcades
are carried on octagonal piers
with moulded
capitals
. The piers at the crossing are massive, having been built in preparation for the unbuilt tower. At the west end of the church, two bays have been converted into a parish room, with a glazed screen between it and the rest of the church. The stained glass in the east window is a memorial to the Pilkington family; it was made in 1905 by Shrigley and Hunt
. The organ dates from 1900 and was given by William Pilkington.
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, England. It is an active Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the deanery of Saint Helens, the archdeaconry of Warrington, and the diocese of Liverpool
Anglican Diocese of Liverpool
The Diocese of Liverpool is a Church of England diocese based in Liverpool, covering Merseyside north of the River Mersey along with West Lancashire, Wigan in Greater Manchester, Warrington and Widnes in Cheshire...
. Its benefice is united with those of St Nicholas, Sutton
St Nicholas' Church, St Helens
St Nicholas' Church, St Helens, is in New Street, Sutton, St Helens, Merseyside, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Saint Helens, the archdeaconry of Warrington and the diocese of Liverpool. Its benefice is combined with those of All Saints, Sutton, and...
, and St Michael and All Angels, Sutton, to form the Sutton Team. The church has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II listed building.
History
All Saints was built between 1891 and 1893, and designed by the LancasterLancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
firm of architects, Paley, Austin and Paley. The land and a donation of £1,000 (£ as of ) were given by the lord of the manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
, William Pilkington of the Pilkington
Pilkington
Pilkington Group Limited is a multinational glass manufacturing company headquartered in St Helens, United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of the Japan-based NSG Group...
glass manufacturing firm. The foundation stone was laid by Pilkington's daughter on 4 August 1891, and the church was consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on 14 October 1893 by the Rt Revd John Ryle, Bishop of Liverpool
Bishop of Liverpool
The Bishop of Liverpool is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Liverpool in the Province of York.The diocese stretches from Southport in the north, to Widnes in the south, and from the River Mersey to Wigan in the east. Its see is in the City of Liverpool at the Cathedral Church of...
. The architects planned for a tower on the crossing
Crossing (architecture)
A crossing, in ecclesiastical architecture, is the junction of the four arms of a cruciform church.In a typically oriented church , the crossing gives access to the nave on the west, the transept arms on the north and south, and the choir on the east.The crossing is sometimes surmounted by a tower...
, but this was never built.
Exterior
The church is constructed in red sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, and has cement-tile roofs. Its plan is cruciform, and consists of a five-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
, north and south aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s, a southwest porch, north and south transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s, and a two-bay chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
with a chapel and a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
. The architectural style is Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
. The windows in the aisles and clerestory have three lights, and those in the chapel and vestry have two lights. At the west end are buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es and a four-light window. The east window has five lights and contains staggered transoms
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
.
Interior
The authors of the Buildings of EnglandPevsner Architectural Guides
The Pevsner Architectural Guides are a series of guide books to the architecture of the British Isles. Begun in the 1940s by art historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, the 46 volumes of the Buildings of England series were published between 1951 and 1975. The series was then extended to Scotland and...
series describe the interior as being "impressive" and "dignified". The arcades
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
are carried on octagonal piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
with moulded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
. The piers at the crossing are massive, having been built in preparation for the unbuilt tower. At the west end of the church, two bays have been converted into a parish room, with a glazed screen between it and the rest of the church. The stained glass in the east window is a memorial to the Pilkington family; it was made in 1905 by Shrigley and Hunt
Shrigley and Hunt
Shrigley and Hunt was the name of an English firm which produced stained glass windows and art tiles.The business began in the 1750s when Shrigley's was a painting, carving and gilding firm in Lancaster, Lancashire....
. The organ dates from 1900 and was given by William Pilkington.