All Saints' Church is in Ellamsbridge Road,

Sutton, Merseyside Sutton is an area of St Helens, Merseyside, and Ward of the metropolitan borough of the same name. The population of the ward taken at the 2011 census was 12,003. Historically within Lancashire, it is one of the four townships along with Eccle ...

, England. It is an active

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

parish church in the deanery of Saint Helens, the archdeaconry of Warrington, and the diocese of Liverpool. Its

benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

is united with those of St Nicholas, Sutton, and St Michael and All Angels, Sutton, to form the Sutton Team. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

History

All Saints was built between 1891 and 1893, and designed by the Lancaster firm of architects, Paley, Austin and Paley. The land and a donation of £1,000 () were given by the lord of the manor, William Pilkington of the Pilkington glass manufacturing firm. The foundation stone was laid by Pilkington's daughter on 4 August 1891, and the church was

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

on 14 October 1893 by the Rt Revd John Ryle, Bishop of Liverpool. The architects planned for a tower on the crossing, but this was never built. The estimated final cost of the church was £6,800, and it provided seating for 600 people.

Architecture

Exterior

The church is constructed in red sandstone, and has cement-tile roofs. Its plan is cruciform, and consists of a five-

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

nave with a

clerestory In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...

, north and south aisles, a southwest porch, north and south transepts, and a two-bay chancel with a chapel and a vestry. The architectural style is

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

. The windows in the aisles and clerestory have three lights, and those in the chapel and vestry have two lights. At the west end are buttresses and a four-light window. The east window has five lights and contains staggered transoms.

Interior

The authors of the '' Buildings of England'' series describe the interior as being "impressive" and "dignified". The arcades are carried on octagonal

piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...

with moulded

capitals Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

. The piers at the crossing are massive, having been built in preparation for the unbuilt tower. At the west end of the church, two bays have been converted into a parish room, with a glazed screen between it and the rest of the church. The stained glass in the east window is a memorial to the Pilkington family; it was made in 1905 by

Shrigley and Hunt Shrigley and Hunt was an English firm which produced stained-glass windows and art tiles. History The business began in the 1750s when Shrigley's was a painting, carving and gilding firm in Lancaster, Lancashire. In 1868, control of Shrigley's ...

. The organ dates from 1900 and was given by William Pilkington. Following a localised fire in the sanctuary area of the church in September 2020, the church is undergoing extensive cleaning and restoration with the plan for it to reopen in the early summer of 2021. The present congregation worship in nearby St Nicholas Church on Sundays at noon.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Helens, All Saints' Church Church of England church buildings in Merseyside Grade II listed churches in Merseyside Churches completed in 1893 19th-century Church of England church buildings Gothic Revival church buildings in England Gothic Revival architecture in Merseyside Anglican Diocese of Liverpool Paley, Austin and Paley buildings

History

Architecture

Exterior

Interior

See also

References