St Catharine's Church, Scholes
Encyclopedia
St Catharine's Church, Scholes, is in Lorne Street, Scholes
, Wigan
, Greater Manchester
, England. It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the deanery of Wigan, the archdeaconry of Warrington and the diocese of Liverpool
. It benefice is united with that of Christ Church, Ince-in-Makerfield
. The church has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building.
architect Edmund Sharpe
. It was a Commissioners' church
that cost £3,180 (£ as of ). A grant of £962 was given towards its cost by the Church Building Commission. The land for the church was given by John Woodcock of Springfield Hall; it was originally a chapel of ease
. The church was consecrated
on 6 June 1841 by Rt Revd John Bird Sumner, Bishop of Chester
. In about 1860 the name "Catherine" was changed to "Catharine" and this spelling has continued to be used until the present. About the same time it was discovered that the church was built on a geological fault and that, as a result of coal mining
in the area, the west end of the church had moved, causing the spire to lean and twist. Repairs were necessary and these were assisted by contributions from local collieries. In 1864 the church acquired full status as a parish church.
from Billinge and has slate
roofs; it is in Early English style. Its plan consists of a six-bay
nave
with north and south aisle
s constituting one chamber, a south vestry
and a short chancel
. At the west end is a steeple linked to the nave by a narthex
with stair-turret
s in the angles. The tower is square and in two stages, with corner buttress
es and pinnacle
s, and a gable
at the top of each face. On top of this is an octagonal belfry
, again with a gable on each face; this is in turn surmounted by an octagonal spire, with two tiers of lucarne
s. In the lower stage of the tower is a west door and in the upper stage are stepped triple-lancet window
s with a clock face above them in the gables. The east window is also a stepped triple-lancet. Inside the church are galleries on three sides supported by cast iron
columns, with the organ in the west gallery, and box pew
s. The west end of the church has been partitioned off by a glazed screen. The architectural historians Richard Pollard and Nikolaus Pevsner
are of the opinion that "the steeple is altogether and quite awkwardly too big for the church".
Scholes, Greater Manchester
Scholes is an urban area in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. Scholes is immediately to the east of Wigan's town centre; separated from the commercial area by the River Douglas....
, Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, 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 Wigan, 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...
. It benefice is united with that of Christ Church, Ince-in-Makerfield
Christ Church, Ince-in-Makerfield
Christ Church, Ince-in-Makerfield, is in the district of Ince-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Wigan, the archdeaconry of Warrington, and the diocese of Liverpool. Its benefice is combined with that of St Catherine, Wigan...
. 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
The church was built in 1839–41 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...
architect Edmund Sharpe
Edmund Sharpe
Edmund Sharpe was an English architect and engineer. He started his career as an architect, initially on his own, then in partnership with Edward Paley, designing mainly churches but also some secular buildings...
. It was a Commissioners' church
Commissioners' church
A Commissioners' church is an Anglican church in the United Kingdom built with money voted by Parliament as a result of the Church Building Act of 1818 and 1824. They have been given a number of titles, including Commissioners' churches, Waterloo churches and Million Act churches...
that cost £3,180 (£ as of ). A grant of £962 was given towards its cost by the Church Building Commission. The land for the church was given by John Woodcock of Springfield Hall; it was originally a chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
. 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 6 June 1841 by Rt Revd John Bird Sumner, Bishop of Chester
Bishop of Chester
The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral...
. In about 1860 the name "Catherine" was changed to "Catharine" and this spelling has continued to be used until the present. About the same time it was discovered that the church was built on a geological fault and that, as a result of coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
in the area, the west end of the church had moved, causing the spire to lean and twist. Repairs were necessary and these were assisted by contributions from local collieries. In 1864 the church acquired full status as a parish church.
Architecture
St Catharine's is constructed in 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,...
from Billinge and has slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs; it is in Early English style. Its plan consists of a six-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 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 constituting one chamber, a south 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....
and a short 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...
. At the west end is a steeple linked to the nave by a narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
with stair-turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
s in the angles. The tower is square and in two stages, with corner 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 pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s, and a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
at the top of each face. On top of this is an octagonal belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, again with a gable on each face; this is in turn surmounted by an octagonal spire, with two tiers of lucarne
Lucarne
A lucarne is a small dormer window that is built on a spire or roof during the Gothic and Romanesque time period....
s. In the lower stage of the tower is a west door and in the upper stage are stepped triple-lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s with a clock face above them in the gables. The east window is also a stepped triple-lancet. Inside the church are galleries on three sides supported by cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
columns, with the organ in the west gallery, and box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s. The west end of the church has been partitioned off by a glazed screen. The architectural historians Richard Pollard and Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
are of the opinion that "the steeple is altogether and quite awkwardly too big for the church".
External features
The sandstone boundary wall of the churchyard is listed Grade II, as is the brick-built vicarage that stands to the south of the church.See also
- List of architectural works by Edmund Sharpe
- List of Commissioners' churches in Northeast and Northwest England