Description

WIGAN

SD50NE SWINLEY ROAD
24-1/2/86 Church of St Michael
11/07/83

II*

Church. 1875-8, by GE Street. Snecked sandstone rubble with
quoins, graduated slate roofs (mostly green).
PLAN: nave with north and south aisles, chancel with north
transept and south vestry.
EXTERIOR: the nave has continuous clerestory arcading with
ashlar pilasters and 2-centred arches in which 7 recessed
chamfered windows alternate with blank arches, and an impost
band carried round to the west end; a very tall 4-light west
window with moulded reveal, a plate-traceried multifoil in the
head, and a hood-mould with returned ends linking by 2
downward steps to the carried-round impost band; and at the
east end a massive buttressed junction wall to the chancel
rising to a gabled bellcote with offsets and two 2-centred
bell openings. The 5-bay aisles are broad with shallow-pitched
roofs and windows of 3 stepped cusped lights with quoined
surrounds: the north aisle has 3 short windows with a sillband
stepped down to deeper windows in the 2 western bays; the
south aisle has a gabled porch to the 1st bay with a
double-chamfered 2-centred arch and gable coping with kneelers
and apex cross, fenestration which otherwise matches the north
aisle, and at the west end a small apse with 3 small cusped
windows. The vestry, continuing the south aisle by one bay,
has a 2-centred arched doorway with hood-mould linked to a
run-out band, and a 3-light east window.
The north transept has buttresses and a 2-light
plate-traceried window.
The 2-bay chancel has a pair of 2-light windows to the 2nd
bay, with quatrefoils in the head and moulded reveals, and a
3-light plate-traceried east window.
INTERIOR: 5-bay nave arcade of cylindrical columns with wide
annular caps carrying 2-centred arches moulded in 3 orders;
string course, arcaded clerestory in which deep
double-chamfered window reveals alternate with blind windows;
tiered queen-strut roof with 3-stage archbracing and an
unusual pair of brattished through-purlins; large chancel arch
now furnished with good early C20 screen in Perpendicular
style; chancel with 2 wide unequal arches housing organ on
north side, and 2-bay south arcade to Lady Chapel, ribbed
barrel-vault wooden ceiling, carved alabaster reredos, east
window reveals with statues under crocket canopies; apsidal
baptistery under cusped arch at west end of south aisle;
carved wooden war memorial screen at west end.

Listing NGR: SD5837706555

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 16 August 2017.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17533800

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)