Lancashire

Churches

Lancaster's Catholic cathedral of 1857-9 - one E. G. Paley's best churches

The beautifully detailed spire of the Catholic Cathedral of St Peter, Lancaster is a fine sight on the hillside overlooking the centre of Lancaster. It adds a third vertical accent located between the Castle/Priory hilltop and the Ashton Memorial. The Cathedral building dates from 1857-9, and was built as the parish church for the town's Catholic community. It was designed by Edward Paley, the Lancaster architect, and is regarded by many as his masterwork. St Peter's was raised to Cathedral status in 1924 when Pope Pius XI created the Diocese of Lancaster.

Prior to the building of the church Lancaster's Catholic community had worshipped in a chapel of 1799 (now Palatine Hall) on Dalton Square. In 1847 three acres of land was bought at Greenfield for a graveyard, school and convent. Space was also allocated for a church, to be built when sufficient money became available. In 1856 several sums, including £2,000 from Thomas Coulson, were contributed for the church building, and on April 29th 1857 the foundation stone was laid by Dr Goss, Bishop of Liverpool.

Edward Paley was Lancaster's leading architect in the 1850s. He had trained under, and later partnered, Edmund Sharpe (see Lancaster, Scotforth, St Paul, Glasson, Christ Church and Bretherton, St John Baptist). Sharpe had been a pupil of Thomas Rickman (see Clitheroe, St Mary Magdalene), an early C19 architect with antiquarian leanings who coined the terms we still use to describe the periods of English Gothic architecture. Here, at St Peter's, Paley adopted the style of c.1300 and built a large church (157 feet long) with nave and chancel, short transepts (80 feet across), an apsidal east end, a Lady chapel, and a distinguished north-west tower 240 feet high.

The exterior of Paley's tower has angle buttresses that lead to crocketed corner pinnacles. At the base is a small west window. Above is a band of deeply moulded blank arcading stretching round the tower on three faces. Above this are paired bell-openings, tall, each divided by a slender mullion, with a cusped circle at the head. The spire sits behind a plain parapet. It is supported by small flying buttresses (which can be barely seen from the ground) that stretch from each corner pinnacle. The cardinal faces of the spire have three lucarnes. At the top is a copper cross three metres tall.

The nave is particularly tall, its gable reaching up to the level of the bell-openings. In the east wall is a large five-light window that continues the geometrical theme. The tracery comprises a big circle with 6 circles inside around the edge, and a centre circle, all with cusps. Below is the west door. The north side of the building has a roofed aisle, and a tall, but not very long, transept. The ridge of the roof of the transept reaches half way up the nave roof. At the east end is the apse. It has tall, pointed three-light windows with fanciful tracery including an eight pointed star. Also on the north side of the building is the octagonal baptistery which was added in 1901, at a cost of £4000, by Austin & Paley. Its shape, location, and copper roof, give the appearance of a small chapter house.

Inside, the church has a nave of five bays with north and south aisles. The columns are cylindrical, of Yorkshire stone, with foliate capitals that suggest the transition from Early English to Decorated. The walls are plastered, but the arcades are of stone. The windows in the north aisle have three lights with trefoils and circles in the heads, and contain stained glass depicting the life of St Peter. The baptistery is at the juncture of the nave and chancel. The passage to the entrance has two windows one of which is unsusual in a number of respects. It is by Shrigley & Hunt of Lancaster and depicts King Herod - an uncommon subject for a window. The colours are rich but coldy muted, and the window teems with imagery suggesting, cunning, treachery, cruelty and betrayal. As was common with this firm's windows, the main subject is framed by a decorative border which here has crowns and shields with "H" and snakes upon them! The baptistery itself is constructed of strongly figured Runcorn stone, and has a vaulted roof. The font is made of Connemara marble, and rests on four green and brown marble columns. Boulton's are responsible for the altar. Near the baptistery is the Lady Chapel. It was donated by the Daltons of Thurnham Hall (see Thurnham, St Thomas & St Elizabeth). It also has Shrigley & Hunt glass, here depicting the Presentation in the Temple and the Visitation.

The chancel is vaulted in wood, and painted in gold and other colours. Behind the altar is a large and striking triptych, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1909, which acts as a reredos. It has 32 panels carved with scenes of the Passion, saints and other Biblical scenes. The canopied oak choir stalls were designed by Austin & Paley and carved by Bridgeman of Lichfield in 1899. They have misericords and carvings of the life of St Peter. The chancel also has a new low stone pulpit, altar and a strikingly angular bishop's chair, all dating from a restoration of 1995.

On the south side of the church are a number of chapels. The easternmost adjoining the transept is dedicated to St Charles Borromeo (b.1538) who is notable in England for the support he gave to English students in the priesthood. The south transept has a Rose Window inspired by Dante's Il Paradiso. The Whiteside Chantry - St Thomas More Chapel is vaulted in stone and was founded by James Whiteside. A reliquary contains a piece of the hair shirt worn by St Thomas More (who was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster). The Coulson Chantry is in memory of Thomas Coulson, and contains a book of the names of parishioners who died during the two World Wars.

The west window is by Hardman and depicts, in a remarkably busy way, the Last Judgement. Nearby, at the west end of the south aisle is a Shrigley & Hunt window showing the Assumption of Mary surrounded by massed angels. 

View from the east

On its hillside location, the fine 240 foot high steeple can be seen from all over the city.

Nave looking east

The vaulted apse provides an impressive focal point at the east end of the church.

Entrance to Baptistery

The Baptistery looks like a small chapter house from the outside. It was added in 1901.

Nave capital

A flamingo pecks at foliage in this capital that recalls the Early English style.

King Herod - an unusual subject

Images of the devil (snake), cruelty (slain infant), cunning (fox) and betrayal (apples), abound in the cold colours of this window.

The Assumption Window

By Shrigley & Hunt, the angels are drawn better than the main subject - Mary.

Photographs and text © Tony Boughen