Church Of St Mary And St Peter

OLDHAM

SD9205SE CHURCH STREET 780-1/5/23 (South side) 23/01/73 Church of St Mary and St Peter

GV II*

Parish church. 1827-30. By Richard Lane. Coursed and squared rubble with Welsh slate roof. West tower with clasping porches, nave and aisles under a single roof. Simple gothic style. 4-stage west tower with doorway in Perpendicular arch with shafts, flanked by foiled moulded panels, with corbel table and quatrefoil frieze over. Large 3-light, 2 tier Perpendicular window over with crocketed hood mould. Low stage housing clock above, and acanthus frieze below 2-tier bell chamber lights. Trefoiled frieze below embattled parapet. Polygonal angle buttresses form pinnacles. Narrow blind panelled bay with terminal polygonal buttresses and pinnacles links the tower to the north and south porches which clasp it. These have 2-tier 3-light windows in west walls and buttresses on outer angles. Doorways to north and south in wide shallow segmental arch with shafts and crocketed hood mould over. Blind foiled niche over doors, and embattled parapet. Each aisle is identical, divided into 6 bays by buttresses which terminate as pinnacles. Angles marked by heavier polygonal buttresses and pinnacles with coronets. Each bay has 3-light 2 tier window with shafts. Additional entrance porches to east of aisles, with shafts and moulding to archway. Shallow chancel with high roof and trefoiled frieze below parapet and polygonal buttresses. City arms in relief over 4-light east window which has slender tracery. 2 symmetrical vestries added to east, 1967. Interior: North and south entrance lobbies each with shallow stone spiral staircase with cast iron balustrades giving access to upper galleries. 6 bay arcade with slender (possibly cast iron) clustered columns with high bases, foliate capitals and roll moulded arches. Sexpartite vaulted ceiling with bosses. Galleried on three sides, with additional cast-iron columns supporting the gallery across the west. Lozenge panelling with quatrefoil decoration to front of galleries. Organ in western gallery. Wide chancel arch to shallow chancel. Early C20 oak fittings, including pews and dado panelling throughout. Chancel has panelling with integral canopied sedilia, dated 1933. Triptych behind altar, by E.Stanley Watkins, 1908. Christ in Majesty, in a neo-medieval style but including representations of leading historical figures of the church in England. Side chapel in north aisle also has triptych of 1908 by E.Stanley Watkins. Similar style though more ornate triptych form with arched hinged panels. The church was refitted circa 1975 by Stephen Dykes Bower: complete frescoed interior with geometrical painted panelling using late medieval emblems (quatrefoils, fleurs de lys etc), in rich colours. Altar rails and lectern designed to echo the simple geometry of the window tracery which was renewed at the same time. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner, Nikolaus: South Lancashire: Harmondsworth: 1969-).

Listing NGR: SD9272905112