Church Heritage Record 603273

Rectangular plan on north-south axis of 6 bays, with added polygonal chancel, with flanking vestries.

Chancel and nave estimated to be c 24m x 8m (80ft x 26ft).

Preston has Roman, Saxon and medieval origins, but nothing of this is visible above ground. The town developed slowly through the post-medieval period, then rapidly expanded for the textile industry from the late 18th century, as with most Lancashire towns.  After a long period of decline in the 20th century it is now experiencing a relative boom, with much regeneration of the area around the centre, including the area around the church.

The church was built 1846-8, the architect being John Latham, a local architect who designed several rather eccentric neo-Romanesque churches (St Mary, St Thomas) in Preston and is very restrained with neo-Classical here.  It was founded by working men who were anxious to bring back to Preston a former curate of St James’s church (Rev W Walling) and began a public subscription to build a church for him. It was consequently known as “the Working Man’s Church” or “the Poor Man’s Church”, and was always distinct from the Establishment churches of the town both architecturally and socially, having a continuous evangelical history. The chancel was added in 1853; there were additions in the late 19th century to each side of the chancel.  The interior was completely redecorated for the Millenium, the facilities updated including a conversion within the west end under the gallery. This was done by Steve Creighton of Carlisle.  

(2005)

A simple, powerful design in the Classical style. The facade, in the form of a 3-bay pedimented portico (on 2 steps), has six giant unfluted Ionic columns, those flanking the centre in pairs, with entablature, dentilled cornice and pediment.  Under the portico are three doorways with moulded architraves, that in the centre with a dentilled pediment on consoles and those at the sides shouldered, all with panelled double doors. There is a raised geometrical panel above each doorway, and on the ridge of the roof, set back slightly, a rectangular enclosed wooden belcote with an open pediment.

The 6-bay brick side walls have high sandstone ashlar plinths, brick pilasters with sandstone bases and caps, sandstone ashlar corner pilasters, and continuous entablatures carried round from the front. Each bay has a giant round-headed window with stone imposts and keystone, containing late 19th-century joinery with round-headed lights to each floor.  The chancel has round-headed windows of two lights with sandstone surrounds under semi-circular arches of brick with blue headers, and a Lombard frieze with some blue brick. There are added rooms on each side of the chancel, gabled with chimneys and domestic windows.

The interior resembles Methodist chapels of the earlier 19th century, unsurprising given the evangeliscal tradition of this church and the emphasis on preaching. It has a gallery on three sides (canted at the corners) carried on iron columns with foliated caps, with panelled front and raked seating. This has all been painted white like the walls and the box pews in the nave below, which preserve their original doors and numbering (there were £10 pew rents in this working man's church). There is plain panelling around the walls. This pleasant interior is lit by unobtrusive modern spot lights in the flat panelled ceiling. The floors are all carpeted in a terracotta red.

The area under the west gallery has recently been divided into rooms with toilets, kitchen and a small creche, a very high quality, unobtrusive development. There is a glazed screen demarcating the vestibule between these and the nave, the screen etched and of a similar high quality. This conversion should serve as a model for other churches seeking to use space in this way.

The chancel has a stilted arched springing from consoles with composite capitals, and elaborate moulded plaster frame above. The organ chamber takes up the south side of the chancel, a passage in front of this leads to a reading room. There is a vestry on the other side. Plain panelled choir stalls, again painted white. Ribbed timber roof.