Roman Catholic Church of St Mary with Attached Gate Piers and Railings

Roman Catholic Church of St Mary with Attached Gate Piers and Railings

A Roman Catholic church built between 1846 and 1849, designed by Weightman and Hadfield. The building is constructed in coursed squared sandstone with slate roofs and displays the Decorated Gothic style.

The church plan comprises a nave with an incomplete west tower, north and south aisles, north and south transepts, a chancel with north vestry and south chapel. The two-stage tower features a moulded plinth and angle-buttresses, with a canted stair-turret near the north-east corner. The west doorway is a two-centred arch with deep surrounding moulding in two orders and a hood-mould bearing figured stops. The striking five-light west window is a large two-centred arch with Decorated tracery, a hood-mould with figured stops and carved cresting that extends upward to meet a carved corbel supporting a canopied niche containing a statue. The parapet incorporates bases for two intended windows on each side.

The five-bay nave features segmental-pointed two-light clerestory windows with tracery, coupled in each bay except the westernmost which has a single window. The aisles are buttressed and contain large two-centred arched three-light windows with varied Decorated tracery and hood-moulds with figured stops. In the second bay, each aisle has a gabled porch with a two-centred arched doorway that is double-chamfered with semi-columns having carved capitals. The north transept has a three-light window matching those of the aisles. The south transept features a circular window with elaborate and unusual tracery incorporating mouchettes. The north chapel has a moulded arched doorway and a two-light window. The chancel has a large two-centred arched five-light window with elaborate Decorated tracery, above which sits a tripartite niche containing a statue of the Virgin surrounded by carved crocketed detail.

The interior is spacious and well-proportioned. The five-bay aisle arcades feature alternately cylindrical and octagonal columns with triple-moulded capitals supporting double-chamfered two-centred arches. A single hammerbeam roof with arch bracing and three tiers of arched wind-bracing spans the nave. Tall double-chamfered transept arches spring from semi-octagonal responds. The large chancel arch features clustered shafts and three orders of deep moulding. The chancel has been altered by the relocation of the altar and removal of the reredos, though it retains a fine stained glass east window dating to circa 1851-55. Two-bay arcades lead to the side chapels, each resting on a polished granite column with vigorously carved natural foliation to the capital. The Towneley Chapel to the north commemorates Colonel John Towneley (died 1878) and his son Richard (died 1877), featuring screens of mahogany, marble and brass, an elaborate carved wooden reredos and panelling.

The attached railings enclose the north and south sides of the plot and are of cast-iron in simple bar form with needle-eye tops above the rail. They are divided into sections by twisted standards with fleur-de-lys heads. The north side railings feature a gateway in line with the tower, flanked by a pair of square stone gate piers in Gothic style with elaborate cast-iron gates.