Church Of St Mary

SD 53 SE GOOSNARGH GOOSNARGH LANE

5/48 Church of St. Mary 11.11.1966 GV II*

Church, late medieval, altered or enlarged in late C16, restored 1868-9 and 1895. Mostly large sandstone rubble, slate roof (1868-9) with a 2 dormers on south and 3 on north side. West tower, nave with full-height north and south aisles, chancel. Three-stage tower, with full-height south-east stair turret and diagonal 6-stage west buttresses, has on west side a round-headed chamfered doorway with hoodmould, a 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery; on west and south sides diamond-shaped clock faces; and on all sides 3-light lourved belfry windows with Perpendicular tracery, and an embattled parapet. Low buttressed south aisle of 4 bays, probably late C16, has a gabled porch to the 1st bay, and a recessed square-headed window of 2 round-headed lights with hollow spandrels in each of the other 3 bays; north aisle is late medieval, and has a blocked doorway to the lst bay and 3 windows, all of 2 lights but otherwise differing: the first 2 have cinquefoil lights, the other has pointed lights of C14 type; and at the east end of this aisle is a flush window of 3 round-headed lights (the chancel wall adjoining has a similar 2-light window). The chancel has a recessed 5-light east window with a transom at the springing and the lights round-headed above and below this; on the south side a priest door, a segmental-headed window to the right with a central cinquefoil and flanking trefoil headed lights, and a 2-light window to the left like those in the south aisle. Interior: north arcade of 6 pointed arches of 2 chamfered orders carried on octagonal piers and responds with plain moulded capitals and bases, south arcade similar but only 5 arches; roof of roughly-hewn ties and principals with angle struts and arch-braced collars, except the truss at the junction with the chancel which has a crown post and decorative framing; chancel roof of roll-moulded beams supported by short wallposts on corbels; at east end of north aisle a wooden screen to the Middleton Chapel, with turned balusters in the upper part and a door in the west side, the top rail carved and lettered on the west side "TR 1721" and on the south side "AR 1622" (Thomas and Alexander Rigby); within this enclosure an elaborately carved C15 tombstone; in tower arch another wooden screen with turned balusters on the top, and a central door lettered "RC IL II JW 1678" (formerly part of rood screen). References: VCH Lancs: Fishwick Goosnargh pp. 10-25. A. Hewitson Our Country Churches and Chapels Preston 1872, pp. 70-77.

Listing NGR: SD5595136922