Holy Trinity Church, Morecambe
Encyclopedia
Holy Trinity Church, Morecambe, or Morecambe Parish Church, is in Church Street, Morecambe
, Lancashire
, England. It is the Anglican
parish church
of Morecambe, in the deanery of Lancaster, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the diocese of Blackburn
. The church has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building.
in 1745 on land bequeathed for the purpose in the will of Francis Bowes, the village blacksmith
, who died in 1742. This was before the creation of the town of Morecambe from three former villages; this building was in Poulton-le-Sands
. By the early 1800s the chapel was too small for the growing population. It was rebuilt in 1840–41 to a design by the Lancaster
architect Edmund Sharpe
. The foundation stone was laid on 16 June 1840, and the new church was consecrated
on 15 June 1841 by the Bishop of Chester
. The church cost £1,288 (£ as of ) to build, and Queen Victoria
made a personal contribution to this. A south aisle
was added in 1866; and Austin and Paley, (successors of Sharpe), designed the chancel
which was added in 1897. A Lady Chapel
was created in the southeast of the church in 1966. In 1995 the church was re-ordered to celebrate 250 years since the foundation of the church.
with a green slate
roof. Its plan consists of a west tower, a nave
with a south aisle and a north transept
, and a chancel with its roof at a lower level. In the angle between the transept and the chancel is a vestry
. The tower has three stages with corner buttress
es. There is a west door with three lancet window
s above it. On the west and south sides of the middle stage are clock faces. In the top stage are triple stepped lancet bell openings. The tower is surmounted by a parapet
that rises to a trianglular gable
above each bell opening, and there are pinnacle
s at the corners. The north wall of the nave consists of six bays
, separated by buttresses and containing lancet windows. The south wall has seven bays, also separated by buttresses; the windows have two lights, and over each window the parapet rises to a triangle. The east window has five lights.
carried on octagonal timber columns, and a west gallery containing the coat of arms
of Queen Victoria. Stained glass in the chancel, and some of it elsewhere in the church, is by Shrigley and Hunt
. Other glass is by Abbott and Company, and by the Loyne Ecclesiastical Studios. The Lady Chapel contains a Westmorland
slate altar. In the vestry is a tablet from the original church commemorating Francis Bowes. In the south aisle is a memorial to the South African War dating from about 1904, composed of copper and brass repoussé
work. The ring
consists of eight bells, all cast in 1939 by John Taylor & Co.
Morecambe
Morecambe is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It faces into Morecambe Bay...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. It is the Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of Morecambe, in the deanery of Lancaster, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the diocese of Blackburn
Diocese of Blackburn
The Diocese of Blackburn is a Church of England diocese, covering much of Lancashire, created in 1926 from part of the Diocese of Manchester. The Diocese includes the towns of Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, and the cities of Lancaster, and Preston, as well as a large part of the Ribble Valley...
. The church has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II listed building.
History
The original church was built as a chapel of ease of St Mary's, LancasterLancaster Priory
Lancaster Priory, formerly St Mary's Church, Lancaster, is the parish church of the city of Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It is located near Lancaster Castle and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican church in the deanery of...
in 1745 on land bequeathed for the purpose in the will of Francis Bowes, the village blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, who died in 1742. This was before the creation of the town of Morecambe from three former villages; this building was in Poulton-le-Sands
Poulton-le-Sands
Poulton-le-Sands was one of three small villages that combined to create Morecambe. Poulton was first mentioned in the Domesday Book as Poltune. It later became Poulton and remained this way for a number of centuries. It was towards the end of the eighteenth or the beginning of the nineteenth...
. By the early 1800s the chapel was too small for the growing population. It was rebuilt in 1840–41 to a design by the Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
architect Edmund Sharpe
Edmund Sharpe
Edmund Sharpe was an English architect and engineer. He started his career as an architect, initially on his own, then in partnership with Edward Paley, designing mainly churches but also some secular buildings...
. The foundation stone was laid on 16 June 1840, and the new church was consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on 15 June 1841 by the Bishop of Chester
Bishop of Chester
The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral...
. The church cost £1,288 (£ as of ) to build, and Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
made a personal contribution to this. A south aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
was added in 1866; and Austin and Paley, (successors of Sharpe), designed the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
which was added in 1897. A Lady Chapel
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
was created in the southeast of the church in 1966. In 1995 the church was re-ordered to celebrate 250 years since the foundation of the church.
Exterior
The church is built in sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
with a green slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof. Its plan consists of a west tower, a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with a south aisle and a north transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
, and a chancel with its roof at a lower level. In the angle between the transept and the chancel is a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
. The tower has three stages with corner buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. There is a west door with three lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s above it. On the west and south sides of the middle stage are clock faces. In the top stage are triple stepped lancet bell openings. The tower is surmounted by a parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
that rises to a trianglular gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
above each bell opening, and there are pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s at the corners. The north wall of the nave consists of six bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
, separated by buttresses and containing lancet windows. The south wall has seven bays, also separated by buttresses; the windows have two lights, and over each window the parapet rises to a triangle. The east window has five lights.
Interior
Internally there is a seven-bay arcadeArcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
carried on octagonal timber columns, and a west gallery containing the coat of arms
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion...
of Queen Victoria. Stained glass in the chancel, and some of it elsewhere in the church, is by Shrigley and Hunt
Shrigley and Hunt
Shrigley and Hunt was the name of an English firm which produced stained glass windows and art tiles.The business began in the 1750s when Shrigley's was a painting, carving and gilding firm in Lancaster, Lancashire....
. Other glass is by Abbott and Company, and by the Loyne Ecclesiastical Studios. The Lady Chapel contains a Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
slate altar. In the vestry is a tablet from the original church commemorating Francis Bowes. In the south aisle is a memorial to the South African War dating from about 1904, composed of copper and brass repoussé
Repoussé and chasing
Repoussé or repoussage is a metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is ornamented or shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in low relief. There are few techniques that offer such diversity of expression while still being relatively economical...
work. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of eight bells, all cast in 1939 by John Taylor & Co.
See also
- List of architectural works by Edmund Sharpe
- List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1895–1914)