Church of St Peter, Westleigh Mills, near Leigh

The church is described by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as “one of their most thrilling churches in Lancashire.” Traceried bands of red Runcorn sandstone run across the top of the great central tower with its vast pyramidal slate roof. The tower is broadened across the width of the church by gablet terminated piers between which the tower is twice set out with slated lean-to roofs. The massing of the tower in relation to the rest of the church is beautifully handled. To the North, a great spine of brickwork snakes down the roof while the North transept roof sweeps steeply down eastwards over the two storeyed vestry. At the east end the transom line of the reticulated window is carried externally across the entire width of the chancel in the blind arcading of the brickwork. [The Faber guide to Victorian churches]

The interior is a showpiece of Austin's originality. North and south elevations are treated completely differently. On the south: solidity, a sheer brick wall with paired windows in deep splays, emphasizing the thickness of the wall, on the north, openness - a high, widely spaced arcade demarking a broad aisle. Unity is attained by the string-course on the south wall, running right through from east to west at cill level, and by the dominating crossing arches with their many continuous mouldings rooting the composition to the ground. The fittings are all simple and solid, except for the elaborate stone pulpit that came from Manchester Cathedral. Attractive quarry tiles in the chancel floor.

The new church dedicated to St Peter situated at Westleigh Mills near Leigh, will be consecrated by the Bishop of Manchester on 7 July. The structure, which is of Perpendicular style (similar to that of St James, Higher Broughton) from the drawings of Messrs Paley and Austin, architects, of Lancaster, consists of chancel, nave, north aisle, organ chamber and vestries with an imposing tower at the junction of nave and chancel. Provision has been made for 540 sittings, all of which will be free and unappropriated. [Blackburn Standard 11 June 1881 page 2]

Reference    Manchester Guardian Saturday 3 August 1878 Page 4  (Contracts)
Reference    Manchester Guardian Tuesday 6 August 1878 Page 1 (Contracts)
Reference    Manchester Guardian Tuesday 13 August 1878 Page 1 (Contracts)
Reference    Blackburn Standard 11 June 1881 page 2
Reference    David McLaughlin: The Faber guide to Victorian churches