Lancashire

Churches

A delightful Austin & Paley church that "hugs the ground happily" (Pevsner)

The unusual name of the village of Dolphinholme derives from an ancient Scandinavian settlement and has nothing to do with the marine mammal! In 1784 the first mechanised worsted spinning mill was established here, and a factory village grew up around this early industrial site. That mill closed in 1865, but another, Corless Mill, continued working until 1926.

The increased population of the village led to the construction of the first St Mark's church in 1839. This building was not consecrated until 1862, and in 1897 it was completely rebuilt in the form we see today.

The present church is an excellent example of the best work of the Lancaster architects Austin & Paley (for more details of the development of this practice see the page about the nearby church of Barnacre). In his introduction to "The Buildings of England: North Lancashire", Nikolaus Pevsner says, "One would have to search far and search long in England to find village churches to vie with Finsthwaite...Torver..., and Dolphinholme..."

St Mark's, Dolphinholme cost £3000, and was built between 1897 and 1899. Like a number of churches built by the architectural practice at this time it has a low central tower, with aisle, vestry, porch etc. abutting the tower and north aisle. Austin & Paley have the happy knack of producing pleasing and powerful massing, high quality finishes, and unexpected details. All are present at Dolphinholme. Here, where one would expect transepts north and south of the tower crossing there are none. On the north side a low arch houses the organ: to the south is a wall. The crossing arches die into the walls and frame a well lit chancel with a large east window that has tracery in the Decorated style. On the south wall of the chancel is a piscina, with a window frame extended downwards to form a sedilia.

The nave has a single north aisle, separated by a three-bay arcade with octagonal columns, plain capitals and chamfered rounded arches. At the east and west ends the arches die into the wall. The nave windows on the north side are square-headed, divided into two lights, with ogee and cusping at their heads. Inside are shallow supporting arches above each window. On the south side the windows are taller, pointed, with more elaborate tracery. The west wall has a pair of arched two light windows. Outside they are divided by a buttress.

The church has a north porch with an elegant doorway whose unbroken surrounding arch is decorated with paterae-like roses. A south door has no porch. The buttressed tower is quite squat and broad, with a parapet that is raised only slightly at each corner. On the south-east corner is a projecting embattled stair turret. The bell openings are small, square headed, with hoodmoulds. On the south face of the tower is a round-arched window that lights the crossing.

The font, pulpit and internal furnishings are of good quality without any ostentatious qualities. The only stained glass window depicts St Peter and (appropriately) St Mark, and may be by Seward & Co of Lancaster.

The church from the south

The broad central tower has ancillary rooms rather than the expected transepts.

The crossing arches and chancel

The crossing has a low north arch housing the organ, but no south arch.

Tower from the north

This church does not point upwards, but "hugs the ground happily."

Weather vane

Is this cartoon-like fish the Christian symbol re-interpreted, or perhaps a pun on the village name!

South nave window (detail)

The only stained glass window (dedication of 1930), has no makers mark. Is it by Seward?

Photographs and text © Tony Boughen