Church of St Wulstan (RC), Poulton Road, Fleetwood
The first sod in connection with the building of a new Catholic Church in Fleetwood was performed on Tuesday morning by the Rev J. Cotton, D.D., MA, Rector of St. Mary's Church. The land on which the building is to be erected is almost opposite the Hutment Barracks. It is 1.5 acres in extent and has a frontage to Poulton Road of 140 yards. It is part of a progressive scheme which, when completed, will include a church, with accommodation for 1,000 people, day school for 800 boys girls and infants and a rectory for the parish. The building in course of erection will have a frontage to Poulton Road of 75 feet, and a width of 40 feet. It will provide accommodation for 400 worshippers, and will consist of the body of the church, altar, sacristies and the usual offices. The building, which will have two entrances, will be constructed of skeleton steel work, with rustic facing bricks, granite stone dressings and slated roof. The cost is estimated at £3,000. The cost of the whole scheme will be approximately £50,000. The architects are Messrs. Mercer and Duckworth, Dock Street, Fleetwood, and the general contractors are Messrs. Thomas Riley, Limited.
The growth of the Catholic population to approximately 3,000 souls and the resultant congestion at the Sunday Masses have necessitated this new development. Tho first Catholic Church at Fleetwood was built in Walmsley Street and was opened for services on 15 November 1841 under Father J. Carroll. This did duty for 25 years, and serval the districts of Fleetwood, Thornton, and Over Wyre. On 17 May 1866 the foundation stone of the present St. Mary's vas laid by Bishop Goss, and the church was opened on 17 November 1867. The Presbytery in Kemp Street was Built in J876-8, the church costing £4,000 and the presbytery £2,000. [Fleetwood Chronicle 26 June 1925 page 8]
NEW CHURCH. FOUNDATION STONE LAID BY DR. PEARSON - The Bishop of Lancaster (Dr. Pearson) yesterday afternoon laid the foundation stone of the new Catholic church, St. Wulstan's, Poulton-road, Fleetwood. where His Ibis Lordship was presented with a silver trowel with which to perform the ceremony by Mr. R. Mercer, on behalf of the architects, Messrs. Mercer and Duckworth.
OPENING OF ST WUSTAN'S CHUTRCH - The Diocese of Lancaster was formed from the two Dioceses of Liverpool and Hexham and Newcastle in 1925. St Wulstan's being the first newly set up parish in the Diocese, and its first church was opened on 7 February 1926. The new church of St. Wulstan, which is the third Catholic church to be built in Fleetwood, was originally planned as a parochial hall, but owing to the growing needs of the west end of the town it was decided to use it, as a temporary chapel. The building is of rustic brick, from designs by Messrs. Mercer and Duckworth, architects, Dock Chambers, Fleetwood and has a seating capacity for nearly 400 people. The furnishing is practically complete. [Lancashire Evening Post 8 February 1926 page 6]