Church Of St Matthew

WIGAN

SD50SE BILLINGE ROAD, Highfield 24-1/5/128 Church of St Matthew 11/07/83

II*

Church. 1892-94. By Paley, Austin and Paley, for Col Henry Blundell, owner of Pemberton Colliery; enlarged and altered 1910 by Austin and Paley. MATERIALS: snecked pink sandstone, red tiled roof. STYLE: Early English. PLAN: 5-bay nave (extended one bay to the west), with 2-bay north aisle, 5-bay south aisle (extended 3 bays to the west), north and south transepts and crossing tower with spire, one-bay chancel. EXTERIOR: the nave has clasping pilasters, 2 very tall lancet west windows with a multifoil above, on the north side 2 tall lancets flanking a gabled north porch and 2 shorter lancets above the aisle, which is pilastered and has similar lancets and a parapet; the south aisle, of 4 unequal bays, has similar lancets, paired in the 2 west bays. Both transepts have clasping pilasters, the north transept has 3 cusped lancets and the south transept has one lancet and a quatrefoil above. The crossing tower, of 2 unequal stages, with clasping corner pilasters and a north-east stair-turret, has pilaster strips carried up to the belfry stage, which is distinguished by a string course and has arcading with 2 louvred belfry windows in each side, a parapet stepped up at the corners, and a tall recessed octagonal spire with lucarnes in the cardinal sides. All windows mentioned above have reveals with 2 orders of chamfer, and hood-moulds. The chancel has 3 lancets in each side and stepped triple-lancet east windows, all these with 3 orders of chamfer and those in the sides with linked hood-moulds. INTERIOR: 2-bay north aisle, 5 bay south aisle (3 bays added 1910), with arcades of double-chamfered arches on cylindrical columns and responds with moulded caps; crossing arches larger and more elaborately moulded, with pulpit linked to north-east pier; roof of queen-strut trusses alternating with arch-braced king post trusses; Lady chapel in north transept, organ in south transept; richly-shafted windows on north side of chancel, sedilia on south side.

Listing NGR: SD5552303830