St Mary's Church, Tarleton
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church, Tarleton, is a redundant
Anglican
church which stands on the A59 road
as it runs to the south of the village of Tarleton
, Lancashire
, England . It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
.
. By 1719 the church was completed on the site it stands today, where a former chapel of ease
dating from before the Reformation
once stood. Additions were made in 1824, consisting of a west porch, a south gallery, and an upper stage to the tower. The church closed in 1886 when a new church dedicated to the Holy Trinity was built nearer to the centre of the village. It was then used as a mortuary chapel. St Mary's was declared redundant on 1 November 1980, and was vested
in the Trust on 10 February 1982.
, with stone slate roofs and with ashlar
upper parts to the tower. Its plan consists of a small rectangular building in four bays
, with a semi-octagonal apse
, a bell-tower at the west end, and to the west of this a flat-topped porch. The church measures 47 in 9 in (14.55 m) by 21 feet (6.4 m), with the apse measuring 12 feet (3.66 m) by 8 feet (2.44 m). Along the north and south walls are large round-headed windows containing glazing bars that are continued upwards into intersecting tracery
. Above each window is a keystone
, and between the windows are triangular pilaster
s which act as buttress
es. The apse has a similar window on each side, leaving the east end blank. Running down the east end is a rain drain pipe, its head being decorated with the arms
of Banastre of Bank
, and the date 1719. On the top of each corner and on the east gable
end is a flaming-urn
finial
. Around the summit of the apse is a modillioned cornice
. At the west end of the porch is a round-headed doorway with a keystone, on each side of which is a window similar to those on the sides. Rising above this, the west end of the church and the lower part of the tower are stucco
ed. On each side of the tower is a small round-headed window, and an even smaller round-headed window is in the lower part of the tower. The tower is thin and oblong. On each side of the tower, above a string course, is a louvred
bell opening with a triangular head, and around the top of the tower is a moulded
cornice. On its summit is a rotunda
consisting of a cupola
carried on columns, surmounted by a weathervane
.
and stairs leading up to the panelled
gallery. This occupies the west and south sides and is carried by square fluted
columns. In the eastern part (front) of the church are box pew
s, that were created for George Anthony Legh Keck
, a resident of the nearby mansion house of Bank Hall
, (his initials can be seen on the pews), while the west wall contains open benches that where used for the local villagers. In the middle of the north side is a reading desk. The pulpit
is octagonal and panelled. The font
dates from the 18th century and consists of a simple baluster
. Also in the church is a 19th-century cast iron
stove decorated with wreathes standing on claw feet. The floor is flagged
.
of Holy Trinity, in the village of Tarleton, is transferred to St Mary's for that one day a year. Old Church Sunday has happened since Holy Trinity was opened in 1888, at the same time the weekly services were also transferred to Holy Trinity.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
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...
church which stands on the A59 road
A59 road
The A59 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside, to York in North Yorkshire.-Merseyside:The A59 begins in the centre of Liverpool at the mouth of the Birkenhead Tunnel, and heads north out of the city, first as Scotland Road in Vauxhall, then Kirkdale Road,...
as it runs to the south of the village of Tarleton
Tarleton
-Population :-Economy:As a result of soil on the former mossland, a major economic activity in Tarleton is market gardening, particularly growing salad crops....
, 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 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, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
.
History
Construction started on the church in 1718, funded by a donation from Henrietta Maria Legh, the sole benefactoress of the church, who resided at of Bank HallBank Hall
Bank Hall is a Jacobean mansion south of the village of Bretherton in Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* Listed Building. The hall was built on the site of a previous building in 1608 during the reign of James I by the Banastre family who were Lords of the Manor. It was extended during the 18th...
. By 1719 the church was completed on the site it stands today, where a former chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
dating from before the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
once stood. Additions were made in 1824, consisting of a west porch, a south gallery, and an upper stage to the tower. The church closed in 1886 when a new church dedicated to the Holy Trinity was built nearer to the centre of the village. It was then used as a mortuary chapel. St Mary's was declared redundant on 1 November 1980, and was vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Trust on 10 February 1982.
Exterior
St Mary's is constructed in handmade brick that was originally plasteredStucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
, with stone slate roofs and with ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
upper parts to the tower. Its plan consists of a small rectangular building in four 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:...
, with a semi-octagonal apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
, a bell-tower at the west end, and to the west of this a flat-topped porch. The church measures 47 in 9 in (14.55 m) by 21 feet (6.4 m), with the apse measuring 12 feet (3.66 m) by 8 feet (2.44 m). Along the north and south walls are large round-headed windows containing glazing bars that are continued upwards into intersecting tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
. Above each window is a keystone
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
, and between the windows are triangular pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s which act as buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. The apse has a similar window on each side, leaving the east end blank. Running down the east end is a rain drain pipe, its head being decorated with the arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Banastre of Bank
Bank Hall
Bank Hall is a Jacobean mansion south of the village of Bretherton in Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* Listed Building. The hall was built on the site of a previous building in 1608 during the reign of James I by the Banastre family who were Lords of the Manor. It was extended during the 18th...
, and the date 1719. On the top of each corner and on the east 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...
end is a flaming-urn
Urn
An urn is a vase, ordinarily covered, that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed pedestal. "Knife urns" placed on pedestals flanking a dining-room sideboard were an English innovation for high-style dining rooms of the late 1760s...
finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
. Around the summit of the apse is a modillioned cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
. At the west end of the porch is a round-headed doorway with a keystone, on each side of which is a window similar to those on the sides. Rising above this, the west end of the church and the lower part of the tower are stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
ed. On each side of the tower is a small round-headed window, and an even smaller round-headed window is in the lower part of the tower. The tower is thin and oblong. On each side of the tower, above a string course, is a louvred
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
bell opening with a triangular head, and around the top of the tower is a moulded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
cornice. On its summit is a rotunda
Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...
consisting of a cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
carried on columns, surmounted by a weathervane
Weather vane
A weather vane is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind. They are typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building....
.
Interior
The porch incorporates a vestryVestry
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....
and stairs leading up to the panelled
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
gallery. This occupies the west and south sides and is carried by square fluted
Fluting (architecture)
Fluting in architecture refers to the shallow grooves running vertically along a surface.It typically refers to the grooves running on a column shaft or a pilaster, but need not necessarily be restricted to those two applications...
columns. In the eastern part (front) of the church are box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s, that were created for George Anthony Legh Keck
George Anthony Legh Keck
Lt.Col. George Anthony Legh Keck was born in 1784 at Stoughton, Leicestershire and was the son of Anthony James Keck and his wife Elizabeth . George Anthony Legh Keck was a member of the Legh family that lived at Lyme Hall at Lyme Park, Cheshire. His wife Elizabeth from Atherton Hall in Atherton...
, a resident of the nearby mansion house of Bank Hall
Bank Hall
Bank Hall is a Jacobean mansion south of the village of Bretherton in Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* Listed Building. The hall was built on the site of a previous building in 1608 during the reign of James I by the Banastre family who were Lords of the Manor. It was extended during the 18th...
, (his initials can be seen on the pews), while the west wall contains open benches that where used for the local villagers. In the middle of the north side is a reading desk. The pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is octagonal and panelled. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dates from the 18th century and consists of a simple baluster
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
. Also in the church is a 19th-century cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
stove decorated with wreathes standing on claw feet. The floor is flagged
Flagstone
Flagstone, is a generic flat stone, usually used for paving slabs or walkways, patios, fences and roofing. It may be used for memorials, headstones, facades and other constructions. The name derives from Middle English flagge meaning turf, perhaps from Old Norse flaga meaning slab.Flagstone is a...
.
Present day
The church yard is still a working graveyard for the village of Tarleton, it is maintained by church volunteers who also open up the church to visitors on Heritage Open Days in September, following a church service on the fourth Sunday of August every year known as 'Old Church Sunday'. This is when the service from the parish churchParish 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 Holy Trinity, in the village of Tarleton, is transferred to St Mary's for that one day a year. Old Church Sunday has happened since Holy Trinity was opened in 1888, at the same time the weekly services were also transferred to Holy Trinity.