All Saints' Church, St Helens Explained

All Saints' Church, St Helens
Pushpin Map:Merseyside
Pushpin Mapsize:200
Pushpin Label Position:left
Map Caption:Location in Merseyside
Location:Ellamsbridge Road, Sutton,
St Helens, Merseyside
Country:England
Coordinates:53.4373°N -2.7033°W
Osgraw:SJ 534,936
Website:All Saints, Sutton
Founded Date:4 August 1891
Consecrated Date:14 October 1893
Status:Parish church
Functional Status:Active
Heritage Designation:Grade II
Designated Date:2 June 1988
Architect:Paley, Austin and Paley
Architectural Type:Church
Style:Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking:4 August 1891
Completed Date:1893
Materials:Sandstone, cement-tile roofs
Parish:Sutton
Deanery:Saint Helens
Archdeaconry:Warrington
Diocese:Liverpool
Province:Province of York
Rector:Revds Louise and Simon Moore

All Saints' Church is in Ellamsbridge Road, Sutton, Merseyside, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Saint Helens, the archdeaconry of Warrington, and the diocese of Liverpool. Its benefice is united with those of St Nicholas, Sutton, and St Michael and All Angels, Sutton, to form the Sutton Team. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

History

All Saints was built between 1891 and 1893, and designed by the Lancaster firm of architects, Paley, Austin and Paley. The land and a donation of £1,000 were given by the lord of the manor, William Pilkington of the Pilkington glass manufacturing firm. The foundation stone was laid by Pilkington's daughter on 4 August 1891, and the church was consecrated on 14 October 1893 by the Rt Revd John Ryle, Bishop of Liverpool. The architects planned for a tower on the crossing, but this was never built. The estimated final cost of the church was £6,800, and it provided seating for 600 people.

Architecture

Exterior

The church is constructed in red sandstone, and has cement-tile roofs. Its plan is cruciform, and consists of a five-bay nave with a clerestory, north and south aisles, a southwest porch, north and south transepts, and a two-bay chancel with a chapel and a vestry. The architectural style is Gothic Revival. The windows in the aisles and clerestory have three lights, and those in the chapel and vestry have two lights. At the west end are buttresses and a four-light window. The east window has five lights and contains staggered transoms.

Interior

The authors of the Buildings of England series describe the interior as being "impressive" and "dignified". The arcades are carried on octagonal piers with moulded capitals. The piers at the crossing are massive, having been built in preparation for the unbuilt tower. At the west end of the church, two bays have been converted into a parish room, with a glazed screen between it and the rest of the church. The stained glass in the east window is a memorial to the Pilkington family; it was made in 1905 by Shrigley and Hunt. The organ dates from 1900 and was given by William Pilkington.Following a localised fire in the sanctuary area of the church in September 2020, the church is undergoing extensive cleaning and restoration with the plan for it to reopen in the early summer of 2021. The present congregation worship in nearby St Nicholas Church on Sundays at noon.

See also