A
Diameter: 18" Bell 1 of 1
Dove Bell ID: 59177 Tower ID: 23014 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Ringley: St Saviour
Overview
Grid reference: SD 764 52
A large early Victorian Gothic church of mellow stone, set in a semi-rural location on the east bank of the River Irwell. Built 1850-4, designed by Sharpe & Paley of Lancaster, with a grant from the Commissioners for a new parish church. The church is designed in the Early English style. The nave aisles have plate tracery windows of two trefoil-headed lights under quatrefoils. The clearstorey has quatrefoil windows within roundels. The west end has a small pointed entrance under a hoodmould with block stops below three tall pointed 2-light plate tracery windows. To the right is a slender octagonal turret, the belfry stage has lancet openings, cornice and tall slate spire. Gabled buttress to left.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
5-bay aisled nave with north porch, 2-bay chancel with south organ chamber and adjacent vestry.
Dimensions:
Nave c 22m (75 ft) x 6m (19ft).
Footprint of Church buildings: 546 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
Built 1850-4, designed by Sharpe & Paley of Lancaster (at this date probably a Paley design), with a grant from the Commissioners for a new parish church. It replaced a chapel further to the west of which only the tower survives; this in turn was built on the site of an earlier church. Nathan Walworth of Ringley Fold, Steward to the Earl of Pembroke was instrumental in the building of the first chapel, which was completed in 1625. This was consecrated as a chapel-of-ease by the Bishop of Chester in 1635. All that remains of this chapel is a stone set in the tower of the 1826 church as already noted. The architect of this second chapel was the Manchester architect Richard Lane.
The chancel appears to have been completely refitted in the late 19th century, with a High Victorian decorative scheme. Up to this point the original Carolean altar had been the High altar, this was moved to the Lady chapel. The south choir vestry was clearly added later, perhaps immediately after World War I. Repairs and redecorating were carried out in the 1970s, perhaps the time the Victorian stencillings were painted over. Major repairs and underpinning to the east end were carried out in 2001-2, and the choir vestry converted into a utility room, at a cost of £170,000.
Archaeological remains of the 17th-century church can be expected near the old tower, particularly to the east of it, as well as the archaeology of burial.
Exterior Description
The church is designed in the Early English style. The nave aisles have plate tracery windows of two trefoil-headed lights under quatrefoils. The clearstorey has quatrefoil windows within roundels. The west end has a small pointed entrance under a hoodmould with block stops below three tall pointed 2-light plate tracery windows. To the right is a slender octagonal turret, the belfry stage has lancet openings, cornice and tall slate spire. Gabled buttress to left. Aisle west end windows as above.
The east end of the north aisle has a 3-light pointed window under a hoodmould with block stops. The north porch has a pointed outer entrance and inner doorway with bishop and king head stops to hoodmould, with a dark oak draught lobby; the window to the right of the porch in the west bay is a triple lancet with cusped lights.
The chancel has diagonal buttresses flanking the stepped triple lancet east window; three lancets to the north wall, all of these have individual hoodmoulds with block stops. 3-light lancet to the south wall, partly obscured by the gabled organ chamber parallel to it, which has a 2-light plate tracery window with a keyed roundel in the head, the keys with letters AMDG. The adjacent projecting “transeptal” vestry has an entrance with shouldered lintel to east; two straight-headed 3-light windows with wave-moulded lintels in the south wall and one more in the west.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
17th Century
Armorial glass from the old chapel in the north chancel windows.
Stained Glass
Late 19th Century
East window, the Passion and Resurrection, probably by Clayton & Bell.
Stained Glass
1920s
South chapel east window, 3-light with Christ with crook as head of the Church (Lovest thou me John xxi). He is flanked by St Mary “Fairest among women” (Song of Songs/Canticle of Canticles 1.8) and female saint carrying a sheaf of corn with “Whose faith follow” (Hebrews 13:7, 15-17). In memory of Eliza Mackenzie and Mary Ann Sowler who did much to enrich the fabric of the church
Stained Glass
2-light in memory of Elizabeth Whitehead, died 1918. The Visitation. Possibly by Reuben Bennett of Old Trafford.
Building Materials
Sandstone
1850-4
Longridge Stone
Sandstone
1625
Sandstone
Slate
1850-4
Slate
Interior
Interior Description
The interior is plastered and whitewashed, the nave with a fine steeply pointed braced collar timber roof. This is carried by slender round columns with moulded capitals and double-chamfered pointed arches. The nave is fully pewed with benches of simple design with the exception of the two western bays, where there is a children’s chapel at the west end of the north aisle, and a tea-making area in the south. Carpeted floors throughout in neutral colours.
The chancel has a plain pointed chancel arch of two orders on corbelled shafts, waggon roof. Gilded and painted rood on beam, dated 1928. There is a curved stone step, at the top of which is a similarly curved low gilded wooden neo-Classical chancel screen, flanked by the integral stone pulpit on the south side and the font on the north. Choir stalls of good quality with blind tracery ends, those on the south side under the projecting organ case and pipes. Two stone steps to the sanctuary.
The organ pipes are exposed in a plain arch at the east end of the south aisle. The chancel east end has a splendid alabaster arcading with reredos with mosaic panels and ceramic tile figures. Integral with the reredos is a double piscina in the north wall and a triple sedilia to the south. Encaustic tile floor. Lady chapel at the east end of the north aisle.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
Late 20th Century
Oak table in chancel
Altar
1626
Oak table with sturdy turned legs and riddel posts in the Lady chapel
Reredos
1881
Alabaster arcading with gilded mosaic panels to the central gabled triptych by Powell’s of Whitefriars (cost 50 guineas), designed by Brown: Archangels Gabriel and Michael flanking Christ in Majesty, six ceramic tile figures of prophets and saints flanking
Pulpit
1850
Square, stone pulpit with marble corner colonettes and moulded cornice. Given by the local Freemasons.
Lectern
Light wood, plain, modern.
Font (object)
1850
Square alabaster font with rounded corners on clustered shafts. Given by the Sowler dynasty, local Freemasons.
Rail
1850
Oak with traceried standards and heavy moulded rail.
Bells
Churchyard
Grid reference: SD 764 52
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.
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 | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
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
Quinquennial Inspections
Submit a change
If you notice something incorrect or missing, please explain it in the form below and submit it to our team for review.