St Matthew's Church, Wigan Explained

St Matthew's Church, Wigan
Pushpin Map:Greater Manchester
Pushpin Mapsize:250
Map Caption:Location in Greater Manchester
Location:Billinge Road, Highfield, Wigan, Greater Manchester
Country:England
Coordinates:53.5292°N -2.6725°W
Osgraw:SD 555,038
Denomination:Anglican
Website:St Matthew, Highfield, Wigan
Dedication:Saint Matthew
Status:Parish church
Functional Status:Active
Heritage Designation:Grade II*
Designated Date:11 July 1983
Architect:Paley, Austin and Paley,
Austin and Paley
Architectural Type:Church
Style:Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking:1892
Completed Date:1910
Materials:Sandstone, tiled roof
Parish:Wigan West
Deanery:Wigan
Archdeaconry:Wigan and West Lancashire
Diocese:Liverpool
Province:York
Vicar:Revd Fran Humphry & Revd Mark Wade
Reader:Colin Hesketh
Director:Sue Gordon

St Matthew's Church is in Billinge Road, Highfield, Pemberton, Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Wigan, the archdeaconry of Wigan & West Lancashire, and the diocese of Liverpool. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.

History

St Matthew's was built between 1892 and 1894, and designed by the Lancaster firm of architects, Paley, Austin and Paley. It was paid for by Colonel Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell, owner of the Pemberton Colliery, in memory of his wife, Beatrice who had died in 1884. The church cost over £10,000 (equivalent to £ as of). The nave and the south aisle were extended to the west in 1909–10 by Austin and Paley. In 1917 a stone reredos, designed by Harry Paley, was installed as a memorial to Colonel Blundell.

Architecture

Exterior

The church is constructed in Runcorn red sandstone, with a red tiled roof. Its architectural style is Early English. The plan consists of a five-bay nave, a two-bay north aisle, a north porch, a five-bay south aisle, north and south transepts, and a single-bay chancel. Above the crossing is tower with a spire. Around the church are pilasters, and all the windows are lancets. The tower has two unequal stages and a northeast stair turret. Between the stages is a string course, and the upper stage contains two louvred bell openings on each side. The parapet is stepped at the corners, and the tower is surmounted by an octagonal spire with lucarnes.

Interior

Inside the church are a two-bay north arcade and a five-bay south arcade. The north transept contains a Lady chapel, and in the south transept is the organ loft. On the south side of the chancel is a sedilia. The furnishings were designed by the architects, including the reredos of 1917, the font, and the pulpit. The stained glass in the east window (from 1917), and in the north aisle and transept (from the 1920s) is by Hardmans. Also in the church are three windows designed by Harold Harvey, dating between 1976 and 1992.

See also