Chancel: Church of St David, Haigh Road, Haigh

LANCASHIRE - The Church of St. David, Haigh, Lancashire, built by a most useful pioneer of the revival of Gothic architecture, T. M. Rickman, is about as dreary a building inside and out as could well be found. The Earl of Crawford and Balcarres having promised a subscription of £500, and other gifts coming in, it is now proposed to build a chancel, vestries, and organ-chamber, form a baptistery, and make other improvements to render the church more fitting for divine worship. The father of the present Earl was a large subscriber to the Church of St. Elizabeth, built a few years ago in this parish. [Builder 27 February 1886 page 356]

ST. DAVID'S CHURCH, HAIGH. The new chancel which has been erected at St. David's Church, Haigh, near Wigan, was consecrated yesterday by the Bishop of Liverpool. The church was built from the designs of the late Mr. Thomas Rickman, one of the pioneers of the revival of Gothic architecture. The original church was a plain parallelogram with flat plastered ceiling and plastered walls, plain pointed windows on each side, a series of lobbies at the west end, a private entrance and staircase to the pew of the Earl of Crawford, but there was no chancel. Last year the work of building a new chancel was commenced, the designs being furnished by Mr. Medland Taylor, architect, of St. Ann's-churchyard, Manchester. On the south of the chancel the organ chamber and choristers' vestry project transept-wise, and to the east of these is clergy vestry. The chancel and the east wall of the nave are almost entirely of stone. Internally the very effective streaked Runcorn stone is used, and very well has it been handled by Mr Winnard, the builder. The better to mask the difference between the nave and the chancel, the westerly portion of the latter has been brought out several feet into the nave, and this part is surmounted by a wrought iron railing. At the north-west corner this wall is made to project to form the pulpit, the floor of which is only two steps raised above the floor of the chancel. The chancel fittings are all of Dantzic oak, the screens in the arches adjacent to the chancel are traceried and of similar material. The gallery has been re-seated with open benches, made out of the old framing. The benches in the nave are of pitch pine, low and comfortable, with seat-boards and backs, sloping at an easy angle. The plain plastered ceiling of the nave has been divided out into panels, with wood mouldings and cusping. One very marked improvement in the arrangement of the seats is the central passage, which gives much dignity the general effect on entering the church. The floors of the chancel and porches are laid with tiles from the noted works near Hereford soft and harmonious in colouring. The nave passages are laid with solid oak blocks—a very quiet floor, and one that looks and wears well. The poverty-stricken appearance of the old nave windows inside has been taken from them by framing them in with moulded stone pillars, arches, and sills. [Manchester Courier 4 August 1887 page 6]

HAIGH - St. David's Church, Haigh, near Wigan, the new chancel of which was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Liverpool, on the 3rd ult., was built originally from the designs of the late Mr. Thomas Rickman, one of the pioneers in the revival of Gothic architecture. The original church was a plain parallelogram, with a flat plastered ceiling and plastered walls, and plain pointed windows on each side. A few years ago, Mr. Medland Taylor, of Manchester, was consulted as to what could be done at moderate cost with the existing church, and last year the work of actual building was taken in hand. A spacious chancel has been built, and on the south of it an organ and choristers’ vestry projects transept-wise, and to the east of these is the clergy vestry. The chancel arch is pointed, but it is of very broad proportions, so as not to protest too much against the low flab coiling of the nave. The chancel and the east wall of the nave are almost entirely of stone. Internally, the very effective streaked Runcorn stone is used. The chancel fittings are all of Dantzic oak, and the screens in the arches adjacent to the chancel are traceried, and of the same material. On the north side, one bay from the east end, is a lean-to porch. In the floor-tiling are George Herbert’s well-known lines: "Bring not thy Plow, thy plots, thy pleasures thither, Christ Purged His Temple, 80 must thou thy heart.” The gallery has been re-seated with open benches made out of the old framing. The benches in the nave are of pitch-pine. The plain plastered ceiling of the nave has been divided out into panels with wood mouldings and cusping. The chancel is lighted by two large candelabra brackets, north and south, the nave by eight pendants hung from the ceiling. The gallery, by some of the old gas standards. The funds for the work have been provided by public subscription, the Earl of Crawford, Mr. Rawcliffe, Mr. Fair, and others being amongst the larger contributors. The work has been executed by Mr. Winnard. [Builder 3 September 1887 page 347]

Reference        Builder 27 February 1886 page 356
Reference        Manchester Courier 4 August 1887 page 6
Reference        Builder 3 September 1887 page 347
Reference        Pevsner: Lancashire: North
Reference        Wigan Records Haigh Estate and the Earls of Crawford. DD/Hai/R/68 - Specification for St David’s Church near Wigan J M Taylor 1886