Description

ECCLESTON TOWNGATE
SD 51 NW
9/103 Church of the Blessed
Virgin Mary
17.4.67 (Formerly listed as Church of
St Mary, Eccleston)
GV II*

Church, C14 and C15, altered in C18, restored in C19, and repaired c.1966.
Squared red sandstone, stone slate roofs. Nave with south aisle under same
roof, west tower, chancel with south chapel under same roof. Square 3-stage
tower, mostly C14 but with C15 bell-stage and C18 parapet, has diagonal west
buttresses up to the 2nd stage, which terminates in a chamfered coping, the
bell-stage set back and finished with a parapet of ashlar; at ground floor in
place of a west door is a modern window of 2 cusped lights, at second stage a
clock-face and on the south side a little segmental-arched window to the
ringing chamber; the belfry has louvred windows of 2 cusped lights and
multifoil head, in moulded surround, with hoodmoulds; straight parapet has
panelled corner posts bearing carved scallops each with a small weather vane.
Buttressed three-bay south aisle and 2-bay chapel have a continuous wall with
a dripcourse and embattled parapet, a sundial mounted on a raised cop in the
centre, and the parapet stepped up at the west end in line with the porch; low
gabled porch has gable coping with kneelers, wide 4-centre arched outer
entrance chamfered in 2 orders with moulded imposts, remains of a small niche
above, low stone side benches, and 2-centre arched inner door with 3 orders of
hollow chamfer. The windows of the aisle (2) and chapel (2) are all
double-chamfered with 4-centre arched heads and all of 3 arched lights with
chamfered mullions (probably late C15), but in the centre of the chapel wall
is a 2-centre arched priest's doorway with 2 orders of moulding (probably C14,
re-set). The east gable has large C19 windows: 5 trefoiled lights to the
chancel, and 3 lights with elaborate plate-traceried head to the chapel, both
with hoodmoulds. Visible in the east gable of the nave, above the chancel
roof, are 2 more steeply-pitched gable lines, one inside the other. The north
wall of the nave, (upper level rebuilt in larger and less regular masonry),
has 2 small buttresses, a doorway to the west bay matching the inner door of
the porch, and three 2-light windows with imposts and arched plate-traceried
heads (1868 remodelling of Georgian windows of c.1720-35, according to
Pevsner). Interior: tower arch and chancel arch both probably early C14,
continuously chamfered in 2 orders, the chancel arch with some blocked
mortices at the springing, indicating removal of a former rood screen; 4-bay
aisle arcade and 2-bay chapel arcade both late Perpendicular, with octagonal
columns and moulded caps, 2-centre-arches chamfered in 2 orders (carved head
above 1st aisle arch; simple round-arched piscina in chancel, another in
chapel; between chancel and chapel a late C15 carved stone tomb-chest with a
small brass of a priest; various C18 wall monuments, esp. Rev. John Douglas
d.1766; and Rigbye do Harrock 1716 (cast bronze, with crested arms at top and
skull and crossbones at bottom); C15 octagonal stone front with carved panels,
including emblems of Stanley family. (Reference: VCH Lancs VI pp.155-161).

Listing NGR: SD5163717848

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17531099

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas