St Thomas' Church, Garstang
Encyclopedia
St Thomas' Church is an Anglican
church in Garstang
, a market town in the English county of Lancashire
. It is an active parish church
in the Diocese of Blackburn
and the archdeaconry of Lancaster. The church was built in 1770 as a chapel of ease
to St Helen's Church
in nearby Kirkland and was later assigned its own parish. It has been designated a Grade II listed building by English Heritage.
of Garstang was part of the ecclesiatical parish of the same name. Garstang's parish church
was St Helen's Church
, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) away in the township of Kirkland
. A chapel of ease
to St Helen's was built in the township of Garstang in the 15th century. The chapel was dedicated to the Holy Trinity. By the 18th century, this chapel had fallen into disuse.
In 1770, a new chapel was built on a different site in the town and dedicated to St Thomas; the architect was Richard Gillow. In 1879, a chancel
was added to the church, probably by Lancaster based architecture firm Paley and Austin. In 1881, St Thomas' became a parish church in its own right. Around this time, the churchyard was enlarged.
rubble and its roofs are slate
. The plan consists of a nave
with a tower to the west, a chancel and a transept
to the north. The tower is square with extensions to the north and south. It has round-headed bell openings.
The three-light east window contains a stained glass
image of Saint Thomas, designed by Carl Almquist of the Lancaster based firm Shrigley & Hunt. There is also a depiction of the Ascension of Jesus by the same firm. There is a bronze sculpture of Christ in the chancel, designed in 1974 by Josefina de Vasconcellos
.
In the churchyard, there are the remains of a Medieval sandstone cross. It has a rectangular base and shaft.
designated St Thomas' a Grade II listed building on 17 April 1967. The sandstone cross base and shaft in the churchyard have also received a Grade II designation. The Grade II designation—the lowest of the three grades—is for buildings that are "nationally important and of special interest". Hartwell and Pevsner (2009) describe the church as a "cheap uninspired job".
St Thomas' is an active parish church
in the Anglican Diocese of Blackburn
, which is part of the Province of York
. It is in the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the Deanery
of Garstang.
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 in Garstang
Garstang
Garstang is a town and civil parish within the Wyre borough of Lancashire, England. It is ten miles north-northwest of the city of Preston and eleven miles south of Lancaster, and had a total resident population of 4,074 in 2001....
, a market town in the English county of 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...
. It is an active parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
in 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...
and the archdeaconry of Lancaster. The church was built in 1770 as a 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....
to St Helen's Church
St Helen's Church, Churchtown
St Helen's Church is an Anglican church in the village of Churchtown in Lancashire, England. Historically, it was the parish church of Garstang; today, as Garstang is split into more than one ecclesiastical parish, St Helen's parish is Garstang St Helen . It is in the Diocese of Blackburn. It has...
in nearby Kirkland and was later assigned its own parish. It has been designated a Grade II listed building by English Heritage.
History
Historically, the townshipTownship (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
of Garstang was part of the ecclesiatical parish of the same name. Garstang's parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
was St Helen's Church
St Helen's Church, Churchtown
St Helen's Church is an Anglican church in the village of Churchtown in Lancashire, England. Historically, it was the parish church of Garstang; today, as Garstang is split into more than one ecclesiastical parish, St Helen's parish is Garstang St Helen . It is in the Diocese of Blackburn. It has...
, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) away in the township of Kirkland
Kirkland, Lancashire
Kirkland is a civil parish located on the banks of the River Wyre midway between Preston and Lancaster in the English county of Lancashire. It is also the historic name of the village of Churchtown within the parish. There are two pubs: the Punchbowl and the Horns Inn.Kirkland forms part of the...
. A 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....
to St Helen's was built in the township of Garstang in the 15th century. The chapel was dedicated to the Holy Trinity. By the 18th century, this chapel had fallen into disuse.
In 1770, a new chapel was built on a different site in the town and dedicated to St Thomas; the architect was Richard Gillow. In 1879, a 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...
was added to the church, probably by Lancaster based architecture firm Paley and Austin. In 1881, St Thomas' became a parish church in its own right. Around this time, the churchyard was enlarged.
Architecture
St Thomas' Church is built of 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,...
rubble and its roofs are 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...
. The plan consists of 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 tower to the west, a chancel and a 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...
to the north. The tower is square with extensions to the north and south. It has round-headed bell openings.
The three-light east window contains a stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
image of Saint Thomas, designed by Carl Almquist of the Lancaster based firm Shrigley & Hunt. There is also a depiction of the Ascension of Jesus by the same firm. There is a bronze sculpture of Christ in the chancel, designed in 1974 by Josefina de Vasconcellos
Josefina de Vasconcellos
Josefina Alys Hermes de Vasconcellos was an English sculptor of Brazilian origin. She was at one time the world's oldest living sculptor. She lived in Cumbria much of her working life...
.
In the churchyard, there are the remains of a Medieval sandstone cross. It has a rectangular base and shaft.
Assessment and administration
English HeritageEnglish Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
designated St Thomas' a Grade II listed building on 17 April 1967. The sandstone cross base and shaft in the churchyard have also received a Grade II designation. The Grade II designation—the lowest of the three grades—is for buildings that are "nationally important and of special interest". Hartwell and Pevsner (2009) describe the church as a "cheap uninspired job".
St Thomas' is an active parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
in the Anglican 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...
, which is part of the Province of York
Province of York
The Province of York is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England, and consists of 14 dioceses which cover the northern third of England and the Isle of Man. York was elevated to an Archbishopric in 735 AD: Ecgbert of York was the first archbishop...
. It is in the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of Garstang.