Tower and Spire: Church of St Mary, Market Place, Bury

The mediaeval parish church of Bury stood beside the fortified manor house, one of twelve in Lancashire. In the eighteenth century the main body of this church was rebuilt although the diminutive mediaeval tower was retained. In 1842 the tower was considered unsafe and this too was replaced to the design of A H Cates. Cates provided a tower and broach spire too tall for the eighteenth-century nave and at odds with it in style.  Less than thirty years later, the relationship was reversed when the main body of the church was rebuilt to the designs of J S Crowther who considered the spire as more suited to a village steeple, but refused to compromise the design of the new church. To link the two, Crowther used a Galilee or Narthex with a porch at the south end, and baptistery at the north end complete with a miniature apse. Nonetheless, the vast difference in scale remains obvious.

TO MASONS, BUILDERS, AND CONTRACTORS — TO BE LET, the MASONS', CARPENTERS, PLUMBERS and GLAZIERS' WORK, of a NEW TOWER and SPIRE to the Parish Church of St. Mary, Bury, Lancashire. The plans and specifications may be inspected on and after Monday the 10th day of July next, at my office in Union Street, Bury; persons desirous of tendering for the same are requested to signify their intentions to me, or to Mr. A. H. Cates, architect. 8, Tower-street. York, on or before that day. The works will be let in one contract, and sealed tenders must be sent to me on or before the 22nd day of July next. The committee do not pledge themselves to accept the lowest tender; and will require good security for the due performance of the works — By order of the building committee, WM. HARPER. Bury, Lancashire, 15th June, 1843. [Manchester Guardian 24 June 1843 page 1]

Reference           Manchester Guardian 24 June 1843 page 1 - contracts