Collyhurst: St Oswald
Overview
Grid reference: SD 853 1
The church was built in 1855 to designs by E.H. Shellard, who built thirteen churches for the Commissioners. Many of his churches were in the style normally associated with this origin, but later Shellard became more accurately Revivalist, and Collyhurst is late enough to be quite free of the "Commissioners" tag in both plan and detail. The north east tower and spire of 1868 were added to designs by John Lowe.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Cruciform, with aisleless nave of five bays, transepts, and chancel with north tower andspire and south vestry.
Description of Archaeology and History
The church was built in 1855 to designs by E.H. Shellard, who built thirteen churches for the Commissioners. Many of his churches were in the style normally associated with this origin, but later Shellard became more accurately Revivalist, and Collyhurst is late enough to be quite free of the "Commissioners" tag in both plan and detail. The north east tower and spire of 1868 were added to designs by John Lowe.
Exterior Description
The massing of the church groups most satisfactorily from the east, purposely thus since this front faces the main road to Rochdale. Centrally is the east gable of the chancel, with a three-light traceried window flanked to the left by the lesser gable of the vestry (a later addition) and to the right by the tower and spire. The tower is externally divided into three stages by stringcourses, with a two-centred doorway on the north face and single lights to the intermediate stage on the north and east faces. The third stage, which houses the bell, has single two-light louvred openings in each direction and at this level the angle buttresses (which have risen through several shallow off-sets) finally die into the wall. The spire rests directly on a quatrefoil frieze without a parapet, and has broaches defined at the lower end by curious. projecting bosses which have more the character of gargoyles. The spire is divided into three stages by bands of darker stone separated by a band of stone pierced by trefoils, and the middle section of the spire has small lucarnes in each cardinal face. The upper ten feet or so of the spire are missing.
The nave and transepts are lit by two-light windows in the side walls, and the nave has a further two-light window of larger dimensions in the west wall, above which is an octofoil high in the gable. The north transept gable has two two-light windows with a similar octofoil above and the south transept has a single three-light window, also with an octofoil above. Nave and transepts have steeply pitched slated roofs and diagonal buttresses at each corner. There is also, for no very clear reason, one additional buttress on the north nave wall, possibly to balance the doorway between the other two windows in this wall. The roof ridges are capped with simple fretted cresting.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
1866
East window: The Crucifixion, three lights.
Stained Glass
c.1882
Nave north I: Four roundels with the symbols of the Evangelists.
Stained Glass
c.1889
Nave north II: The Good Samaritan.
Stained Glass
Nave west window: armorial panels of the sees of York and Manchester, retained from the Albert Memorial church and more interesting than the other windows.
Stained Glass
The south nave windows have attractive panols of foliage and symbols in the tracery lights.
Interior
Interior Description
The interior of the building is spacious and architecturally straightforward. The walls are plastered and the windows are set within chamfered reveals. The roofs are open timber construction of arch-braced type with principals set on plain stone corbels. The floors are of timber boards below the pews with tiled alleys, and the majority of the windows ave plain glass. The asymetrical placing of the window openings in the nave (four on the south and three on the north) is somewhat awkward since there seems no good reason for it. The crossing space is not defined on the west, but to north and south the transepts have simple chamfered arches and the chancel arch is also of two chamfered orders resting on semi circular responds with an outer moulding terminatingin abstract stops. A corner of the tower encroaches on the north-east corner and the transept roofs abut under cross gables, behind one of which is concealed a skylight. The north transept is screened to form a vestry and a door opens towards the ground floor of the tower which now forms the organ chamber.
The chancel is three steps higher than the nave, with oak furnishings in a uniform style dating from about 1925. The east window is filled with stained glass, and the sanctuary is lit by a single light on the north side, the similar light on the south now opening into the later vestry.
Fixtures and fittings
Pulpit
c.1880
The pulpit is of oak, hexagonal with open traceried panels.
Lectern
1890
The lectern is an oak eagle, stained very dark.
Organ (object)
The organ is a two-manual instrument with seventeen speaking stops and tracker action.
Font (object)
The font is a square bowl on a drum and four colonettes, all painted white, in a style something between Norman and Early English, doubtless of the date of the church.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SD 853 1
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
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