Church Heritage Record 624182

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Bolton-le-Moors: St Matthew w St Barnabas

Name:

This is the church’s legal name as given by the Church Commissioners.

Bolton-le-Moors: St Matthew w St Barnabas
Record Type:

A classification of the current status of the building

Closed Church
Church code:

This is a unique identification number supplied to each church building by the Church Commissioners.

624182
Diocese:

Name of diocese in which the church building is located at the time of entry.

Manchester
Archdeaconry:

Name of archdeaconry in which the church building is located at the time of entry

Bolton
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

West Bolton

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Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

The decision to put a church building on the National Heritage List for England and assign it a listing grade is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is normally based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on the historic environment.

This is not a Listed Building
Scheduled Monument?

The decision to schedule a feature (building, monument, archaeological remains, etc.) located within the church building’s precinct or churchyard is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on cultural heritage.

There is no Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

National Parks are areas of countryside that include villages and towns, which are protected because of their beautiful countryside, wildlife and cultural heritage. In England, National Parks are designated by Natural England, the government’s advisor on the natural environment.

The church is not in a National Park

Conservation Area

Conservation areas are places of special architectural or historic interest where it is desirable to preserve and enhance the character and appearance of such areas. Conservation Areas are designated by the Local Council.

The church is not in a Conservation Area

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Heritage At Risk Status

On Heritage At Risk Register?

The Heritage at Risk programme is run and managed by Historic England, the government’s advisor on cultural heritage. It aims to protect and manage the historic environment, so that the number of ‘at risk’ historic places and sites across England are reduced.

This church is not on the Heritage at Risk Register
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Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

Selecting a single date for the construction of a church building can sometimes be very difficult as most CoE buildings have seen many phases of development over time. The CHR allows you to record a time period rather than a specific date.

The CHR records the time period for the building’s predominant fabric as opposed to the date of the earliest fabric or the church’s foundation date.

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Exterior Image

Exterior image of 624182 Bolton-le-Moors St Matthew
Caption:

603242 

Exterior image of 624182 Bolton-le-Moors St Matthew
Description:

It seems to be the wrong photograph. Provided coordinates come up with another church on geograph.org.uk

Photograph of the outside north and east elevations from Brownlow Way.
Year / Date:

2011, April 06

November 2012
Copyright:

Keltek Trust

Archbishops' Council
Originator:

Keltek Trust

Catherine Townsend

Summary Description

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Built 1970-2 as a parish hall. Sanctuary added 1981-2 when original church of St Matthew, to this building’s west was demolished.

Visiting and Facilities

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The church is closed for worship.
Date closed for worship:
Work in progress - can you help?
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Church Website

Church Website:

www.holytrinitylyonsdown.org.uk

Work in progress - can you help?

Sources and Further Information

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Catherine Townsend (November 2012) Exterior image of 624182 Bolton-le-Moors St Matthew [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Exterior image of 624182 Bolton-le-Moors St Matthew
Mark L Head (November 2007) Church plan of 624182 Bolton-le-Moors St Matthew [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Church plan of 624182 Bolton-le-Moors St Matthew
Catherine Townsend (November 2012) Interior image of 624182 Bolton-le-Moors St Matthew [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Interior image of 624182 Bolton-le-Moors St Matthew
James Miles (2018) Closed Churches [Digital Archive/Data]

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: SD 711 103

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Administrative Area

Metropolitan District:

The administrative area within which the church is located.

Bolton District (B)

Location and Setting

This field describes the setting of the church building, i.e. the surroundings in which the church building is experienced, and whether or not it makes a positive or negative contribution to the significance of the building.

St Matthew’s is located in an area called Halliwell to the north-west of Bolton city centre. The area is urban and residential in character. The site is positioned west of Brownlow way and descends from west to east. The vicarage is to the west on the site of the former church. To the south along a cobbled road is Grade II listed Mere Hall built in 1837 for the engineer Benjamin Dobson, now a registry office. The Church of Nazarene is located north-west of St Matthew’s.

The area around the building is laid to grass and tarmac paths navigate the church. There is a wood and concrete post fence to south and a building with a beauticians and learning centre to the north. Blocks of flats across the road to the east. There are no boundaries to east and west and no burials. A metal cross is situated in the south-east corner next to a tree. Several trees on the north side.

An area of uneven tarmac over cobbles at the west end provides car parking, thought to be the responsibility of the Local Authority.

Church Plan

Church plan of 624182 Bolton-le-Moors St Matthew
Caption:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Church plan of 624182 Bolton-le-Moors St Matthew
Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Plan of the church taken from the Quinquennial Inspection Report.
Year / Date:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
November 2007
Copyright:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Unknown
Originator:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Mark L Head

Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

Provide as written description of the ground plan of the church building and well as its dimensions.

North porch, meeting rooms, WCs, kitchen and store rooms at west end, main area/nave with west gallery. Apsidal east sanctuary with vestry to south side.

Dimensions

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

[Approximate] Nave 10m (33ft) long x 12m (39ft) wide, chancel 4m (13ft)

Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

Small (<199m2)

Medium (200-599m2)

Large (600m-999m2)

Very Large (>1000m2)

Work in progress - can you help?

Description of Archaeology and History

This field aims to record the archaeological potential of the wider area around the building and churchyard, as well as the history of site.

The original church of St Matthew, built 1874-6, was designed by Thomas Denville Barry of Liverpool. It was a brick church with five-bay aisled nave with clerestory, transepts and a north tower and south porch. The chancel had a north organ chamber and south chapel, with an octagonal vestry in the north-east corner. The tower and spire formed a local landmark. The spire was reduced in 1947 following concerns for its stability, and was removed in full in 1955.

A new hall was built c.1970 and when St Matthew’s closed in 1983 (wet rot and damp), worship relocated to the hall and a sanctuary was added. It was hoped that the vestry could be preserved but St Matthew’s was demolished in 1988. 

St Matthew’s is situated close to St Thomas’s and St Paul’s, both within its group. St Paul’s was the only church in the Halliwell district until 1875. Another nearby church was St Barnabas, south of St Matthew’s, which was built 1911-13, designed by F R Freeman of Bolton and closed in 1975 when the parish joined with St Matthew’s. It is now a temple-cum-community centre for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

The archaeological potential of the site is low. There are no known designations relating to the ecology of the plot.

Exterior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the exterior of the church building and the churchyard.

It is a low dark brick building with a windowless apsidal east end. Due to the change in ground level the east elevations are taller. Windows in the north, south and west walls are placed within vertical panels with white painted boards above and below them, the clear glass is protected by metal grids. The church has a shallow-pitched tile roof with over-hanging eaves. The roof over the west end is slightly lower. There is a cross over the chancel arch. A ramp with a metal handrail leads up to the main entrance in the north-west corner. Two more doors on the south side have ramps and access different levels within the church. The doors are all painted blue.

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Who:
Bradshaw Glass & Hope
Role:
Architect / Surveyor ICM55
From:
To:
Contribution:
Who:
Bradshaw Glass & Hope
Role:
Architect / Surveyor ICM55
From:
To:
Contribution:

Building Fabric and Features

This field is an index of the building and its major components

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Collapse Building Fabric and FeaturesBuilding Fabric and Features
KITCHEN (20th century)
NAVE (20th century)
PORCH (20th century)
SANCTUARY (20th century)
VESTRY (20th century)

Building Materials

This field is an index of the building’s material composition

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Collapse Building MaterialsBuilding Materials
BRICK (20th century)
CLAY (20th century)
PANTILE (20th century)

Interior Image

Interior image of 624182 Bolton-le-Moors St Matthew
Caption:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Interior image of 624182 Bolton-le-Moors St Matthew
Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Photograph of the inside of the church looking east from the south-west corner.
Year / Date:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
November 2012
Copyright:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Archbishops' Council
Originator:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Catherine Townsend

Interior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the interior of the church building.

The church is entered through glazed doors in the north-west corner which opens into a carpeted entry hall. To the west are two WCs with a meeting room and kitchen beyond. They have inserted ceiling panels. To the east is the main open space used for worship entered through double doors within a glazed surround. The area is four steps lower than the narrow platform on which the room is entered. This provides access between the rooms at the west end and is an area where the wooden chairs are stored. There are three sets of steps, one has a stair-lift. The platform and stairs are carpeted and the platform has a wood strip front.

The main space is floored in strips of wood. Three long windows in the north and south walls illuminate the space. The ceiling is of pine strips with attached strip lights and recessed spotlights. The walls are plastered and painted white. The floor space is kept clear. There are three narrow strips of glazing to the north side of the plain chancel arch, opening into the sanctuary.

The sanctuary can be separated by a folding wood partition. There is no change in floor level. The sanctuary walls are of exposed brick and the floor is carpeted. The wood ceiling is lower and has three rectangular wood boxes projecting down from the main level – perhaps originally light shafts. There is a step up around the apsidal outer walls and a continuous bench follows.

A vestry projects from the south-east corner. A vestibule in the angle between the sanctuary and the south-east corner of the worship area has an external door and access to sanctuary, vestry and worship space.

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

This field is an index of the building’s internal, architectural components. This includes its internal spaces and those areas’ fixtures and fittings (building components which are securely fixed to the church or cathedral).

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Collapse Internal Fixtures and FittingsInternal Fixtures and Fittings
ALTAR (20th century)
FONT (COMPONENT) (20th century)
LECTERN (20th century)
ORGAN (COMPONENT) (20th century)

Portable Furnishings and Artworks

This field is an index of the building’s movable, non-fixed furnishings and artworks.

Work in progress - can you help?

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: SD 711 103

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Ecology

This field aims to record a description of the ecology of the churchyard and surrounding setting.

Work in progress - can you help?

Ecological Designations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

This field aims to record any evidence of the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

The church has no evidence of bats

Burial and War Grave Information

This field records basic information about the presence of a churchyard and its use as a burial ground.

It is unknown whether the church or churchyard is consecrated. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
It is unknown whether the churchyard is closed for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The churchyard does not have war graves.

National Heritage List for England Designations

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There are no Listed Buildings within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this Closed Church

Churchyard Structures

This field is an index of the churchyard’s components.

Work in progress - can you help?

Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Significance is the whole set of reasons why people value a church, whether as a place for worship and mission, as an historic building that is part of the national heritage, as a focus for the local community, as a familiar landmark or for any other reasons.

Low
Setting Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The church adds little to the streetscape, but the churchyard contributes greenery to the urban environment around.
Fabric Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Low
Fabric Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The church has low architectural value.
Interior Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Low
Interior Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The contents are of local value only.
Community Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?
Community Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?

Church Renewables

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Open the map of church renewable installations
Solar PV Panels:

This information forms part of the Shrinking the Footprint project.

No
Solar Thermal Panels:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Bio Mass:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Air Source Heat Pump:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Ground Source Heat Pump:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Wind Turbine:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
EV Car Charging:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Unknown

Species Summary

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the Closed Church . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

‘Seek Advice’ Species

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

If any of the following species have been seen close to the Closed Church, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the Closed Church, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the Closed Church. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the Closed Church and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this Closed Church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

The church was the centre of many people’s lives and remains a guide to their cares and concerns. Glimpses into those lives have often come down to us in the stories we heard as children or old photographs discovered in tattered shoe boxes. Perhaps your ancestors even made it into local legend following some fantastic event? You can choose to share those memories with others and record them for future generations on this Forum.

Tell us the story of this building through the lives of those who experienced it. Tell us why this church is important to you and your community.

Upload your photographs, share your videos, or compose your story below using a Facebook, Twitter, Google or Disqus account.

Refresh
WhoActionWhen
Oliver LackAdded SourceThu 08 Dec 2022 14:32:04
James MilesModified the Grid ReferenceMon 01 Apr 2019 12:33:11
Anna CampenModified asset data - Modified the Significance descriptionThu 22 Jun 2017 16:00:44
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeThu 22 Jun 2017 15:58:59
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeThu 22 Jun 2017 15:58:43
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeThu 22 Jun 2017 15:58:21
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeThu 22 Jun 2017 15:57:57
Anna CampenModified asset data - Modified the Interior DescriptionThu 22 Jun 2017 15:57:02
Anna CampenAdded image of the interior of the buildingThu 22 Jun 2017 15:55:18
Anna CampenModified asset data - Modified the Exterior DescriptionThu 22 Jun 2017 15:54:06
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