Description

WIGAN

SD50SE BILLINGE ROAD, Highfield
24-1/5/128 Church of St Matthew
11/07/83

II*

Church. 1892-94. By Paley, Austin and Paley, for Col Henry
Blundell, owner of Pemberton Colliery; enlarged and altered
1910 by Austin and Paley.
MATERIALS: snecked pink sandstone, red tiled roof.
STYLE: Early English.
PLAN: 5-bay nave (extended one bay to the west), with 2-bay
north aisle, 5-bay south aisle (extended 3 bays to the west),
north and south transepts and crossing tower with spire,
one-bay chancel.
EXTERIOR: the nave has clasping pilasters, 2 very tall lancet
west windows with a multifoil above, on the north side 2 tall
lancets flanking a gabled north porch and 2 shorter lancets
above the aisle, which is pilastered and has similar lancets
and a parapet; the south aisle, of 4 unequal bays, has similar
lancets, paired in the 2 west bays.
Both transepts have clasping pilasters, the north transept has
3 cusped lancets and the south transept has one lancet and a
quatrefoil above.
The crossing tower, of 2 unequal stages, with clasping corner
pilasters and a north-east stair-turret, has pilaster strips
carried up to the belfry stage, which is distinguished by a
string course and has arcading with 2 louvred belfry windows
in each side, a parapet stepped up at the corners, and a tall
recessed octagonal spire with lucarnes in the cardinal sides.
All windows mentioned above have reveals with 2 orders of
chamfer, and hood-moulds.
The chancel has 3 lancets in each side and stepped
triple-lancet east windows, all these with 3 orders of chamfer
and those in the sides with linked hood-moulds.
INTERIOR: 2-bay north aisle, 5 bay south aisle (3 bays added
1910), with arcades of double-chamfered arches on cylindrical
columns and responds with moulded caps; crossing arches larger
and more elaborately moulded, with pulpit linked to north-east
pier; roof of queen-strut trusses alternating with arch-braced
king post trusses; Lady chapel in north transept, organ in
south transept; richly-shafted windows on north side of
chancel, sedilia on south side.

Listing NGR: SD5552303830

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Matthew's Church, Wigan at Wikipedia
• St Matthew's Church, Wigan official website
• Wikidata Q7594706

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

• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)