St Michael and All Angels Church stands to the west of the village of
Great Altcar ,
West Lancashire , England. The church is
timber-framed and is recorded in the
National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II*
listed building . It is an active
Anglican parish church in the
diocese of Liverpool , the archdeaconry of Liverpool and the deanery of Sefton. Its
benefice is combined with that of Holy Trinity, Formby. In the
Buildings of England series it is described as "an utterly charming church".
History
The earliest record of a church or chapel on the site is in a lease dated 1429. In the 17th century the church is said to have been of timber and plaster. In the 1740s it was destroyed by fire and a new church was consecrated in 1747. This was said to have been a small brick building with a cupola containing one bell and a very plain interior. That church was demolished and the present church was built in 1878–79 to a design by John Douglas at the expense of the 4th Earl of Sefton . The church was restored in the 1990s, mainly to deal with rot which was affecting the timber.
Architecture
Exterior
The church is half-timbered on a brick plinth with a red tile roof. The framing is mostly close studding with a middle rail. It has been suggested that timber framing was used, not only for aesthetic reasons, but also because the foundations on underlying peat were not sufficiently stable for a stone building. The plan of the church consists of a five-bay nave , a bell turret on the west gable end, a south porch, a narrow north aisle , a two-bay chancel at a lower level, a north organ chamber, and a vestry . The bell turret is close-studded and has a pyramidal roof with a finial and a weather vane . The church is unique in Douglas' output as being entirely half-timbered.
Interior
The communion rails, chancel rails, and pulpit were designed by Douglas and are of carved timber. The reredos consists of painted tiles, executed by Craven, Dunhill & Co. to designs by Heaton, Butler and Bayne . It depicts Christ breaking bread before Cleophas and Mary in the centre, St Michael on the left, and Euphrasia on the right. The only stained glass in the church is in the west window. This is dated 1885 and depicts the baptism of Jesus .
External features
Lychgate
At the entrance to the churchyard is a lych gate dated 1879 which was also probably designed by Douglas. It is made of oak with a stone slate roof and is listed Grade II. The churchyard contains the war grave of a Royal Army Service Corps officer cadet of World War II , and of a Royal Air Force flight lieutenant killed in Afghanistan in 2006.
See also
References
^ Historic England , "Church of St Michael, Great Altcar (1230934)" , National Heritage List for England , retrieved 9 April 2015
^ Pollard, Richard; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2006), Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West , The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press , pp. 179–180, ISBN 0-300-10910-5
^ Farrer, William; Brownbill, J., eds. (1907), "The parish and township of Altcar: Church" , A History of the County of Lancaster , Victoria County History , vol. 3, University of London & History of Parliament Trust, pp. 221–226, retrieved 21 March 2008
^ Boughen, Tony (2004), "Altcar, St Michael" , Lancashire Churches , archived from the original on 7 May 2008, retrieved 21 March 2008
^ Hubbard, Edward (1991), The Work of John Douglas , London: The Victorian Society , pp. 128–127, ISBN 0-901657-16-6
^ Historic England, "Lychgate approximately 20 metres south east of Church of St Michael, Great Altcar (1073147)" , National Heritage List for England , retrieved 9 April 2015
^ "WOODFIN, KENNETH THOMAS" , Commonwealth War Graves Commission , retrieved 24 January 2019
^ "The roll of honour - Personal details" , Armed Forces Memorial , retrieved 24 January 2019
^ "A volley of rifle shots and a" , Champion , 22 November 2006, retrieved 24 January 2019
Grade I
St Michael, Aughton
St Mary, Barnoldswick
St Peter and St Paul, Bolton-by-Bowland
St Michael, Bracewell
St Helen, Churchtown
St Bartholomew, Colne
All Hallows, Great Mitton
St John, Gressingham
St Cuthbert, Halsall
St Patrick, Heysham
St Peter, Heysham
St Margaret, Hornby
Lancaster Priory
Old St Leonard, Langho
St Wilfrid, Melling
Pleasington Priory
St Walburge, Preston
St Wilfrid, Ribchester
St Michael, St Michael's on Wyre
St Leonard, Samlesbury
St Andrew, Slaidburn
St Peter, Stonyhurst
St Saviour, Stydd
St John, Tunstall
St Thomas, Upholland
St Mary and All Saints, Whalley
Grade II*
St Michael and All Angels, Altcar
St James, Altham
St John, Arkholme
St Michael and All Angels, Ashton-on-Ribble
Blackburn Cathedral
St Mark, Blackburn
St Silas, Blackburn
Sacred Heart, Blackpool
Holy Trinity, Bolton-le-Sands
St Paul, Brookhouse
St John the Baptist, Broughton
St Peter, Burnley
St John the Baptist, Burscough
St Bartholomew, Chipping
St George, Chorley
St James, Church
St Laurence, Chorley
St Mary Magdalene, Clitheroe
St John the Evangelist, Crawshawbooth
St Peter, Darwen
St Leonard, Downham
Euxton Parish Church
St Mary, Goosnargh
St Bartholomew, Great Harwood
St Michael, Kirkham
Lancaster Cathedral
St John, Lancaster
St Andrew, Leyland
St Cuthbert, Lytham
St John, Lytham
St Helen, Overton
St Nicholas, Newchurch
St Mary, Newchurch in Pendle
St Peter and St Paul, Ormskirk
St Cuthbert, Over Kellet
St Mary, Penwortham
St John, Pilling
St Chad, Poulton-le-Fylde
St George, Preston
St John, Preston
St Mark, Preston
St Peter, Preston
St Wilfrid, Preston
Syro-Malabar Cathedral, Preston (former St Ignatius)
St John, Silverdale
St Mary, Tarleton
St James, Tatham
St Helen, Waddington
St Leonard, Walton-le-Dale
St Michael, Whittington
St Anne, Woodplumpton
Grade II
St Andrew, Accrington
St James, Accrington
Christ Church, Adlington
St Paul, Adlington
St Andrew, Ashton-on-Ribble
St Leonard, Balderstone
All Saints, Barnacre
St Lawrence, Barton
Holy Trinity, Blackburn
Holy Trinity, Blackpool
St John, Blackpool
St Mary and St Michael, Bonds
St Mary, Borwick
St John, Bretherton
St James, Briercliffe
St James, Brindle
All Saints with St John Baptist, Burnley
St Andrew, Burnley
St Mary, Burnley
St Stephen, Burnley
Capernwray Chapel
Christ Church, Bacup
Christ Church, Chatburn
St Chad, Claughton
St Andrew, Cleveleys
St Paul, Constable Lee
St Saviour, Cuerden
St Cuthbert, Darwen
St Mark, Dolphinholme
St John, Ellel
St Paul, Farington
Immanuel, Feniscowles
St Mary, Fleetwood
St Peter, Fleetwood
St Thomas, Garstang
Christ Church, Glasson
St Michael, Grimsargh
St Ambrose's Church, Grindleton
St Wilfrid, Halton-on-Lune
St James, Haslingden
All Saints, Higher Walton
Holy Trinity, Hoghton
St John the Divine, Holme Chapel
Christ Church, Lancaster
St Thomas, Lancaster
St Peter, Leck
St Paul, Longridge
St Peter, Mawdesley
St Mary's Church, Mellor
Holy Trinity, Morecambe
St John the Divine, Morecambe
St Laurence, Morecambe
St Paul, Nelson
Immanuel, Oswaldtwistle
St Leonard, Padiham
Nazareth Unitarian, Padiham
St John, Poulton-le-Fylde
St Oswald, Preesall
Carey Baptist Church, Preston
City Church, Preston
Emmanuel, Preston
Fishergate Baptist Church, Preston
Moor Park Methodist Church , Preston
Preston Central Methodist Church
All Saints, Preston
St Joseph, Preston
St Luke, Preston
St Mary, Preston
St Paul, Preston
St Thomas, Preston
St Thomas of Canterbury and the English Martyrs Church, Preston
St Peter, Quernmore
St John, Rawtenstall
St Anne, St Anne's-on-the-Sea
St Thomas, St Anne's-on-the-Sea
St Peter, Scorton
St Paul, Scotforth
St Anne, Singleton
St Paul, Skelmersdale
St Luke, Slyne with Hest
Church of the Good Shepherd, Tatham
St Oswald, Warton
St Michael, Weeton
Christ Church, Wesham
St Michael, Whitewell
St Luke, Winmarleigh
St John the Evangelist, Worsthorne
St Nicholas, Wrea Green
St James, Wrightington Bar
St John the Evangelist, Yealand Conyers
St Mary, Yealand Conyers
Grade I
Grade II*
Grade II
Listed in
Unlisted
Derelict or demolished