Lancashire

Churches

Brian Clarke stained glass of 1974 distinguishes a church of 1914 and 1963

One of the pleasures of looking at church architecture is having one's prejudices confounded. Frequently a visit to an unpromising-looking church can throw up unexpected delights. This is certainly the case with Christ Church, Thornton.

The original church of 1835 had a west tower with corner pinnacles, and a nave and chancel covered by a single roof. It was poorly constructed, and, despite repair work in 1873, was thought by 1913 to be in need of a new chancel. The Lancaster architects, Austin, Paley & Austin, designed the replacement. It is a competent piece of work in cream stone with red stone for the windows and other details. The east window of five lights has simple panel tracery, and stained glass is by Shrigley & Hunt of Lancaster. It shows Christ flanked by nine saints, angels above, and an Agnus Dei. On the north wall is a three light window, also by Shrigley & Hunt. The subject is the empty tomb - a common commission by the firm. A transept projects to the north of the chancel. Inside it appears filled by the organ.

The south side of the chancel has a Lady Chapel. Its modern furnishings, C20 glass, plain walls and glazed entry, make this seem part of the later C20 structure, but it too is from 1914. The stained glass includes striking abstract work dominated by the colour blue by Geoffrey Clark, a designer well known for his work at Coventry Cathedral.

The nave, tower and ancillary buildings were built in 1963, by Leach, Rhodes & Walker after the removal of the original tower and nave. This partnership built other churches but is better known for its commercial and civic work. Here they used cream brick-like stone, and added a nave with aisles, a porch and a very slender and almost detached tower/campanile. The latter has a very civic feel. It has a pitched roof and at the top is open to east and west, with four hexagonal openings on the south face. The nave has a steeply pitched roof, but the aisle roofs are almost flat. The aisle windows have concrete surrounds and are topped by a shallow arch. The same arch is used for the roof of the south porch. As a design it works better inside than out.

The nave has narrow aisles separated by square wooden columns. Is there steel underneath? The aisles have shallow plaster groined vaulting. Above is a narrow clerestory. Each roof rafter springs from above a column with steel cross-braces stretching between them. The wood panelling of the roof is decorated with twelve shields representing local places and people, as well as the sees that have been associated with the district. The whole effect is light and bright due to the clear glass of the large rectangular west window, and the clerestory.

The real interest of Christ Church rests in the ten aisle windows by Brian Clarke. He is now, perhaps, the most successful English stained glass artist, with work gracing churches, shopping centres, civic buildings and art galleries across the world. When these windows were designed in 1974 he was at the beginning of his career. The windows are abstract, with figurative elements creeping in here and there. The glass is strongly coloured with, in the main, rectilinear shapes broken by diagonals, irregular lines and blobs. The colours are often very strong, with the deep blue/purples, in particular, having an enamel-like quality. Those associated with the church in the early 1970s are to be commended for being bold enough to choose such distinctive work by a young artist. The symbolism of each design, based on Clarke's notes is held by the church.

On the wall below the west window is the Creed and Lord's Prayer painted in yellow on shades of blue. The lettering is excellent. It is by Harold Wood.

View from the south

The campanile is almost detached from the 1963 nave. The chancel of 1914 is to the right.

View from nave to chancel

The nave's simple lines give way to the more traditional forms of Austin & Paley's chancel.

Windows by Brian Clarke (1974-5)

The windows use largely abstract patterns whose overall symmetry is broken by lines and colours. The glass is deeply coloured, with, an enamel-like finish.

Above: Pentecost 3 and Advent

Below: Transfiguration and Pentecost 2

The nave seen from the chancel

Despite the stained glass of the aisles the nave is bright due to clear glass and light surfaces.

Font

The octagonal polished concrete font of 1963(?) has panels of inlaid stone.

Chancel - Austin & Paley (1914)

The chancel has a north transept and an insensitive lean-to building of 1963 vintage.

Photographs and text © Tony Boughen