Lancashire

Churches

A medieval church with a chancel by A.W.N. Pugin

A local legend tells how the site of St Oswald's church, Winwick, was decided by a pig that carried and laid the foundation stones where the church was subsequently built! The pig, so the story has it, is commemorated on the west wall of the tower (see picture below). The historical record shows that a church existed here at the time of the Domesday Book in 1086. The oldest part of the present church dates from the early C14, though inside is a cross piece from the head of an Anglo-Saxon cross. This bar is about 5 feet long and covered with interlace, animals and figures. The whole cross must have been massive. Does it originate from Winwick, or was it brought there? An inscription in the church commemorates King Oswald of Northumbria, a prominent Christian, who is said to have been killed here in 642.

The west tower has the characteristics of the early 1300s. It has niches to the left and right of the four-light west window. These contain later figures. The pig could be from any time between C11 and C16, and is probably part of a sculpture of St Anthony. Other parts of the north and south aisles and the south west turret are medieval. Rebuilding took place in 1530, and extensively in the C19.

Inside the church is difficult to read. The south arcade looks about 1300. But it was rebuilt in 1836 with the south aisle. The north arcade has quite different piers of clustered columns and octagonal capitals with double leaf motifs. They are too big for the apparently C14 arches that sit on them, and there is some debate about whether they are C15 or C16. Whatever the age, there has clearly been extensive rebuilding of the nave.

The chancel presents no such problems. It was built by A.W.N. Pugin in 1847-8. Pugin usually built Roman Catholic churches, but here he was employed by the Church of England. He chose the Decorated style, and separated the chancel from the nave with a sumptuous screen with a cusped ogee central arch. The chancel is taller than the nave, with a steeply pitched roof and an elaborate chimney stack, a four-light east window, and three-light windows elsewhere except for that with two lights above the priest's door. Pugin designed the stained glass which was made by Hardman. The panels have single large figures in a style that leans heavily on medieval precedent. The south wall has a three-seat sedilia. The ceiling is a wooden barrel vault divided into squares by ribs, with bosses at the intersections, and painted roundels in each coffer. The whole effect is very rich.

Each aisle has a chapel extension at the east end. These are separated from the nave by elaborate iron screens with foliage finials - presumably Pugin's work. To the south is the Legh Chapel. It has a good panelled timber roof, in black and white work, with paterae in the coffers and carved angels holding shields around the lower edge. What age is it? It looks to be C17. Below are excellent monuments - a 1527 brass to Richard Legh and wife, a 1687 marble tomb to a later Richard Legh and wife with two marble busts against a baldachino, and a relief to Mrs Ellen Leigh (1831) by R.J. Wyatt. The north chapel belonged to the Gerard family. It has a brass of 1495 to Peter Gerard inset into the floor. The east window of 1937 depicts King Oswald in armour erecting a cross on the battlefield at Havenfield in Yorkshire in 634.

View from the south east

This medieval church has been extensively rebuilt and modernised over the years.

Pugin's chancel screen

The church has wooden and iron screens added by Pugin in a restoration of 1847-8.

North arcade capital

When are they from? Are they Perpendicular, or do they date from the C16?

Richard Legh

The tomb commemorates Richard Legh and his wife. He died in 1687.

C14 niche, later figure, and The Winwick Pig

If the pig is in its original place it may have accompanied a statue of St Anthony.

Chancel ceiling

The ceiling is very richly decorated with greens, reds and golds.

Photographs and text © Tony Boughen