Church Of St Mary Of Furness

Church of St Mary of Furness

A Catholic church built in 1866-67 to a design by Edward Welby Pugin. The tower was added in 1888, with a sacristy and confessionals following in 1894. The building is constructed of snecked red sandstone with grey ashlar sandstone dressings and a slate roof, oriented north-west to south-east following ritual church orientation.

The church comprises a six-bay nave with a west porch and lean-to aisles. At the west end of the south aisle stands a five-stage tower with spire. The north aisle contains an octagonal baptistry at its north-west corner and three small confessionals along the north side. The chancel is semi-octagonal and is linked to a small south chapel and north sacristy leading to the presbytery.

The design is Gothic Revival in style throughout, characterized by lancet windows with hoodmoulds and geometrical rose windows. The nave's west gable features a tall, cusped lancet above a central doorway with an ogee-moulded arch and hoodmould with head-carved stops. A coped gable rises above, set with a roundel and cross. The main gable holds an elaborate rose window and short dripmould, with a string course and two louvres beneath the apex. The south aisle has deeply-chamfered plinth work, offset buttresses, and six lancets each with a trefoil above a transom, plus a three-light chapel window. A run of fourteen small lancets forms the clerestorey, with the easternmost pair set within a gabled projection containing a rose window and cross. The north aisle shows a two-light west window and clerestorey matching the south side.

The baptistry has a battered plinth, lancets, and a hipped roof. The confessionals are set beneath hipped roofs below the aisle eaves.

The tower stands on an ashlar ground floor marked with its 1888 date on the Duke Street side. Set-back buttresses with traceried panels and gablets flank a pointed west door. Between the buttresses stands a statue of Mary and Child beneath a crocketed canopy, flanked by lancets. Above the door is a further lancet. A string course sits below triple lancets to the fourth stage. The buttresses terminate at an offset, from which rise octagonal corner turrets flanking single-light belfry openings between Ionic columns. Blind arcading connects the corner turrets, which then rise as pinnacles. The slender ashlar spire features tall lucarnes, a band of quatrefoils, and a cross.

The chancel is semi-octagonal beneath the hipped end of the main roof, with triple lancets below a continuous hoodmould and a roof finial. The short, low south chapel projects to the east with a rose window.

Interior

A west gallery contains the organ. The nave arcades rest on square bases with broaches and moulding supporting round piers with octagonal and carved capitals. Tall moulded arches spring from these piers, with the easternmost pair being narrower. Paired clerestorey windows are linked by hoodmoulds. The roof structure employs scissor-braced and arch-braced trusses.

The chancel features an ornate reredos with triple lancets adorned with colonettes and hoodmoulds. Columns mounted on angel corbels support a radial, arch-braced roof with boss. The altar displays marble colonnettes and a crucifix beneath a crocketed canopy, flanked by statues of saints within niches. The Lady Chapel contains an alabaster reredos depicting Mary and Child under a canopy. Stained glass in the south aisle is marked 'Barnell, Newcastle'.

Historical Details

The building was erected at a cost of £5,000-6,000, with the tower adding a further £2,950 to expenditure. The statue above the west door of the tower was carved by Miss Rogerson of Liverpool.