OPENING OF ST. PATRICK’S CHURCH, WALTON-LE-DALE.-To-morrow (Sunday) this church, which has been in course of erection a little over twelve months, and is now completed, will be opened for public service. The church will be a great boon to the Catholics of the locality, who have had to bear many inconveniences in the school-chapel, which has been used as a place of worship for upwards of 20 years. It is now 25 years since the mission was opened, and for several years the Grove Inn, New-road, was used as a chapel and priest’s house. The school accommodation will now be considerably increased for the Catholics of Walton, and will be ample for many years to come. The new church is built on land adjoining the present school-chapel, which was purchased in 1860 from the representatives of the late Mr. Thomas Livesey, of Knot House. The style is pure Gothic; the building is of Yorkshire parpoints and Skerton Hill dressings, and it stands out well at the foot of the slope leading to Walton Church. The entire length is 90 ft. and the breadth 52 ft., and the building will seat about 520 persons. The interior is very neat and substantial in all its details. The chancel is lighted with six tracery headed windows and six trefoil windows. The altar is of Caen stone and marble. The steps leading to the altar are of white Sicilian marble. The floor of the sanctuary is laid with Sicilian and Irish black and red marble, of octagonal pattern, which gives it a very rich appearance. The length of the chancel is 22 ft. by 28 ft. in breadth; the breadth of the proscenium is 17 ft. The side chapels, 12 ft. by 10 ft., adjoin the chancel, and are laid with Sicilian and Irish black marble. The height of the chancel is 49 ft. from the nave floor level. It has a groined roof, with panel bays in pitch pine, stained and varnished, the foot of each principal resting on stone corbels. The length of the nave from the face of the chancel piers is 591 ft., the breadth 28 ft., and the length of the aisles 70 ft. The aisles are of a good breadth, and are laid with ornamental pressed tiles. The height of the nave is 501 ft. The clerestories are supported by Portland stone pillars, moulded bases, columns, and caps. From centre to centre of each of the pillars is 14ft. The nave arches are moulded in plaster of Paris, and the girth is 5ft. At the west end of the church is an organ and choir gallery, with ornamental pitch pine front, and screen of vestibule. Over the gallery is a beautiful circular window, which lights it very effectually. The windows are all glazed with beautifully tinted cathedral glass. The sacristy is 10ft. by 14ft. The church and sacristy are skirted round with pitch pine, which gives a good finish to the walls. Mr. W. Hothersall, Chapel-walks, Preston, is the contractor Mr. H. Withington and Mr. S. Cookson, each in his department, acting as clerk of the works.
Local News.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 9, 1880
Publication: Preston Chronicle
Gale Primary Sources, British Library Newspapers:
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