St Michael and All Angels Church, Altcar
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| St Michael and All Angels Church, Altcar | |
St Michael and All Angels Church, Altcar |
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  Position of church in Lancashire
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| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Great Altcar, West Lancashire, England |
| Geographic coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Religious affiliation | Anglican |
| Province | Province of York |
| District | Diocese of Liverpool |
| Ecclesiastical status | Parish church |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | John Douglas |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 1878 |
| Year completed | 1879 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Timber framed, red tile roof |
St Michael and All Angels Church, Altcar is to the west of the village of Great Altcar, West Lancashire, England (grid reference SD320065). It is a timber framed building and is an active parish church.[1] The church is a Grade II* listed building.[2]
Contents |
[edit] History
The earliest record of a church or chapel on the site is in a lease dated 1429. In the 17th century the church is said to have been of timber and plaster. In the 1740s it was destroyed by fire and a new church was consecrated in 1747. This was said to have been a small brick building with a cupola containing one bell and a very plain interior.[3] This church was demolished and the present church built in 1878–79 to a design by John Douglas at the expense of the 4th Earl of Sefton.[4] The church was restored in the 1990s, mainly to deal with rot which was affecting the timber.[5]
[edit] Structure
The church is timber framed on a brick plinth with a red tile roof. The framing is mostly close studding with a middle rail.[2] It has been suggested that timber framing was used, not only for aesthetic reasons, but also because the foundations on underlying peat were not sufficiently stable for a stone building.[5] The plan of the church consists of a five-bay nave, a bell turret on the west gable end, a south porch, a narrow north aisle, a two-bay chancel at a lower level, a north organ chamber, and a vestry. The bell turret is close-studded and has a pyramidal roof with a finial and a weather vane.[2]
[edit] Fittings and furniture
The communion rails, chancel rails, and pulpit were designed by Douglas and are of carved timber.[4] The reredos consists of painted tiles, executed by Craven, Dunhill & Co. to designs by Heaton, Butler and Bayne. It depicts Christ breaking bread before Cleophas and Mary in the centre, St Michael on the left, and Euphrasia on the right. The only stained glass in the church is in the west window. This is dated 1885 and depicts the baptism of Jesus.[5]
[edit] External features
At the entrance to the churchyard is a lych gate dated 1879 which was also probably designed by Douglas. It is made of oak with a stone slate roof and is listed Grade II.[6]
[edit] Notes
- ^ St Michael & All Angels, Altcar. Church of England. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ a b c Images of England: Church of St Michael, Great Altcar. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ Farrer, William; J. Brownbill (eds.) (1907). The parish and township of Altcar: Church. A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3. 221–226. British History Online. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ a b Pollard, Richard; Nikolaus Pevsner (2006). The Buildings of England: Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West. New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 179–180. ISBN 0 300 10910 5.
- ^ a b c Boughen, Tony (2004). Altcar, St Michael. Lancashire Churches. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ Images of England: Lychgate. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
