Church of St Richard of Chichester, (RC), Atherton Wigan

ATHERTON - The Rev. Thomas Almond, St. Richard’s, Mayfield Street, is to erect a new church. Plans by Mr. Harold Greenhalgh, architect and surveyor, 15 Mawdesley Street, Bolton. Contractors are Messrs. G. & J. Seddon, Ltd., 8 Manchester Road, Little Hulton, near Bolton. [Architect and Building News 14 October 1927 page 628] 

The present church was developed by Fr Thomas Almond, who was at St Richard’s for 46 years. Archbishop Keating laid the foundation stone on 1 October 1927 and Bishop Dobson opened the church on 13 May 1928. The architect was Harold Greenhalgh of Bolton. The church is faced in drag-wire brown brick with buff terracotta details. The nave and sanctuary are under one slated roof, with 1990s west narthex and entrance facing the road (1927 foundation stone re-set in south wall of narthex). Northeast vestry now used as a flower room, confessional to northeast, the sacristy connects the house and church. The architectural style and form is very similar to Holy Family, Boothstown (qv), of similar date and by the same architect; plain perpendicular Gothic. Nave windows are three-light arched openings with simple timber tracery and clear glass, recently installed in place of the original obscure glazing. The simple interior has a low pointed arched vaulted ceiling, plastered and with ribs. The west gallery has a canted front, all in painted pine. The1990s reordering installed a timber platform in the sanctuary with forward nave altar. New liturgical furnishings are of pale sandstone. 1920s oak benches have been retained, on a new fitted carpet. [https://taking-stock.org.uk/building/atherton-st-richard-of-chichester/]

Datestone 1927