St Thomas' Church, Pendleton

Coordinates: 53°29′32″N 2°17′09″W / 53.4921°N 2.2857°W / 53.4921; -2.2857
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St Thomas' Church, Pendleton
St Thomas' Church, Pendleton, from the southwest
St Thomas' Church, Pendleton is located in Greater Manchester
St Thomas' Church, Pendleton
St Thomas' Church, Pendleton
Location in Greater Manchester
53°29′32″N 2°17′09″W / 53.4921°N 2.2857°W / 53.4921; -2.2857
OS grid referenceSJ 811 995
LocationBroad Street, Pendleton, Salford, Greater Manchester
CountryEngland
DenominationAnglican
ChurchmanshipModern Catholic
WebsiteSt Thomas, Pendleton
History
StatusParish church
Founded1767; 257 years ago (1767)
Founder(s)Samuel Brierley
DedicationSaint Thomas
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II
Designated18 January 1980
Architect(s)Francis Goodwin and Richard Lane
Architectural typeChurch
StyleGothic Revival
Groundbreaking1829
Completed1831
Specifications
MaterialsStone
Administration
ProvinceYork
DioceseManchester
ArchdeaconrySalford & Leigh
DeanerySalford & Leigh
ParishPendleton and Claremont
Clergy
RectorFr Daniel Burton
Curate(s)Rev Clive Hamilton
Laity
Churchwarden(s)Mr Lee Craven MBE, Christine Tabbron

St Thomas' Church is on Broad Street, Pendleton, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Salford, the archdeaconry of Salford, and the diocese of Manchester. Its benefice is united with those of five nearby churches including St Aidan’s, Lower Kersal; St Luke’s, Weaste; Emmanuel LEP, Langworthy and Holy Angels, Claremont to form the Salford All Saints' Team Ministry.[1] The church is designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.[2] It was a Commissioners' church, having received a grant towards its construction from the Church Building Commission.[3]

History[edit]

The church was built between 1829 and 1831 to a design by Francis Goodwin and Richard Lane.[4] A grant of £6,673 (equivalent to £640,000 in 2021)[5] was given towards its construction by the Church Building Commission.[3]

Architecture[edit]

Exterior[edit]

St Thomas' is constructed in ashlar stone. The architectural style is Gothic Revival. Its plan consists of a five-bay nave, north and south aisles, a chancel and a west tower. The tower is in three stages with polygonal pilasters at the corners, and an embattled parapet with pinnacles. It has a west door with a three-light window above, porches on the north and south sides, clock faces, and three-light bell openings. The aisles also have embattled parapets, and each bay contains a three-light window with Decorated tracery. At the east end of the aisles are blind windows. The chancel has a lancet window on the north and south sides, a six-light east window with Perpendicular tracery, and polygonal buttresses.[2]

Interior[edit]

Inside the church the arcades are carried on slim Perpendicular piers. There are galleries on three sides. The west gallery has a canopy carved with the royal arms of William IV. The side galleries have been filled in for use as a chapel and meeting rooms. The stained glass in the chapel is by Hardman and depicts scenes from the life of Saint Thomas. The glass in the east window, dating from the 1840s, is also probably by Hardman.[4] The three-manual organ was built in 1839 by Samuel Renn and restored in about 1920 by Jardine and Company.[6] There is a ring of eight bells, all cast in 1906 by John Taylor & Co.[7]

External features[edit]

The churchyard contains the war graves of four soldiers of the First World War, who are all commemorated by special memorial, and a soldier of the Second World War.[8]

Notable people[edit]

  • Leal Douglas, Australian actress, was christened at St Thomas's in 1881.[9]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ St Thomas, Pendleton, Salford, Church of England, retrieved 30 January 2012
  2. ^ a b Historic England, "Church of St Thomas, Salford (1386093)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 30 January 2012
  3. ^ a b Port, M. H. (2006), 600 New Churches: The Church Building Commission 1818-1856 (2nd ed.), Reading: Spire Books, p. 335, ISBN 978-1-904965-08-4
  4. ^ a b Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2004), Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, p. 640, ISBN 0-300-10583-5
  5. ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017), "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)", MeasuringWorth, retrieved 11 June 2022
  6. ^ "NPOR [N02173]", National Pipe Organ Register, British Institute of Organ Studies, retrieved 3 July 2020
  7. ^ Salford, Pendleton, S Thomas, Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers, retrieved 30 January 2012
  8. ^ PENDLETON (ST. THOMAS) CHURCHYARD, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, retrieved 6 February 2013
  9. ^ Baptisms solemnized in the Parish of Eccles church of St Thomas Pendleton in the Year of our Lord 1881, p. 74 at ancestry.co.uk, accessed 14 April 2020 (subscription required)