Church Of St Thomas

The Church of St Thomas is a Grade II listed building located on Melling Rock Lane, built in 1835 with a chancel added in 1873, designed by J. W. Casson. The church is constructed of stone and features a stone slate roof, although the east end has concrete tile roofs. It consists of a five-bay nave, a west tower, a chancel, and a north organ loft and south vestry, all covered by lean-to roofs. The nave is adorned with a cornice and coped gables, diagonal buttresses with pinnacles, and lancet windows with splayed reveals and hood moulds situated between weathered buttresses. There is a gabled porch at the end bay of the south side. The tower includes diagonal buttresses and a giant arch on the west side that frames three lancets (two of which are blind) with a three-light window above; the north side is similar, while the south side features an entrance with a shouldered lintel. The bell stage has paired louvred bell openings, a cornice, and an embattled parapet. The chancel boasts an east window with three stepped lancets, diagonal buttresses, and paired lights for the organ loft and vestry. A stack is located at the southeast angle of the nave.

Inside, the roof has tie beam trusses, and there is a deep west gallery supported by iron columns with moulded capitals. The east wall of the nave features a chancel arch on round piers, flanked by segmental pointed recesses, with the left recess housing organ pipes and rosettes above. There is a similar entrance on the south side. The chancel includes a pointed arch leading to the organ lofts and south blind arches. A window in the chancel contains stained glass by Holiday, dated 1907. The nave has notable wall memorials, particularly for R. Bootle (died 1758) and Sir T. Bootle (died 1753). At the rear of the nave, there are pointed commandment, prayer, and creed boards, along with a board commemorating the church's rebuilding in 1834 and a charity board flanking the south entrance. The gallery displays Hanoverian arms, and there is an open-well stair in the tower.