Monday, 31 July 2017

Churches (5) : St Thomas, Ashton-in-Makerfield

St. Thomas' Church in Ashton-in-Makerfield (historically Lancashire now part of Greater Manchester) was built in the early 1890s from Runcorn red sandstone to replace an earlier 18th century church. The new church was consecrated in 1893.

Clerestory : high section of wall with windows to let in additional light and air.
St. Thomas' has a three bay nave with 2 aisles. The nave has a clerestory and there is a chancel with an organ chamber. The organ dates from 1826 and was one of a number of items and features moved from the older church to the new one. Stone from the old church was used too, the new stone being mixed with the old to emphasise the church was a rebuilding not a wholly new creation.

A vestry was added to the church in 1930. The church originally had a saddleback roof but this was replaced in the 1960s.