Church of St Thomas, Lees

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Church of St Thomas, Lees
St Thomas the Apostle Church, Leesfield
St Thomas the Apostle Church, Leesfield - geograph.org.uk - 1161346.jpg
Church of St Thomas in 2009
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Church of St Thomas, Lees
Location in Greater Manchester
53°32′12″N2°04′21″W / 53.5367°N 2.0726°W / 53.5367; -2.0726
AddressWest Street,
Lees, Greater Manchester
CountryEngland
Denomination Anglican
Website Church of St Thomas
History
Dedication St Thomas
Consecrated 21 June 1848
Architecture
Heritage designation Grade II*
Designated22 August 1967
Architect E. H. Shellard
Architectural type Church
Style Perpendicular Gothic Revival
Years built1848
1855 (tower)
1885 (organ chamber)
Specifications
MaterialsStone, slate
Administration
Archdiocese Archdeaconry of Rochdale
Diocese Diocese of Manchester
Clergy
Priest Revd Lyn Woodall

The Church of St Thomas is an Anglican parish church on West Street in Lees, a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active church in the Diocese of Manchester and is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a Grade II* listed building.

Contents

History

The village of Lees lay within the chapelry of Leesfield, which formed part of the ancient parishes of Prestwich and Ashton-under-Lyne. The name does not appear on historic maps, but the present church and Leesfield Church of England Primary School [1] stand within the centre of Lees. [2]

The Church of St Thomas was designed in the Perpendicular Gothic Revival style by the Manchester‑based ecclesiastical architect E. H. Shellard, and was built as a Commissioners' church. [3]

It was consecrated on 21 June 1848 by James Prince Lee, the first Bishop of Manchester. [4] A west tower was added in 1855, followed by the construction of an organ chamber in 1885. [5]

On 22 August 1967, the Church of St Thomas was designated a Grade II* listed building. [3]

The church underwent a major programme of renovation between 1995 and 2004. The works cost approximately £1 million, and the building is consequently regarded as being in good overall condition. [6]

Architecture

The Church of St Thomas is constructed of hammer-dressed stone with a slate‑covered roof. It comprises a nave, aisles, tower, and a chancel, alongside an organ chamber and a vestry. [3] The plan includes a six‑bay nave and a two‑bay chancel, both with a sill band and a parapet that is castellated. Each of the bays contain a weathered buttress surmounted by a crocketed pinnacle, together with a two‑light window set beneath a hood mould. The porch in the second bay carries the date "1848" above its arched doorway. The east end has a four‑light window. [3] The west tower is of four stages, castellated, and features a four‑centred arched doorway, a four‑light west window, clock faces, three‑light belfry openings, and diagonal buttresses with crocketed pinnacles. [5]

Interior

Internally, octagonal columns carry a double‑chamfered nave arcade. The hammerbeam roof trusses rise from carved head corbels. There is no clerestory, but the nave is lit by dormer windows. [5] A west gallery is provided, its parapet formed as a blind arcade. The fittings include poppyhead pews, dado panelling, a carved pulpit, and choir stalls with canopies by Shaw of Uppermill. The chancel contains a carved stone reredos and associated panelling. The stained glass is extensive, with much of it produced by Jean-Baptiste Capronnier between 1874 and 1898. [5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "St Thomas' Leesfield C of E Primary School". St Thomas' Leesfield C of E Primary School. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  2. ↑ "The Parish of Lees (or Hey) in the County of Lancashire". Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Historic England. "Church of St Thomas (Grade II*) (1068071)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "Church of St. Thomas, Lees Field, near Oldham". Architects of Greater Manchester 1800–1940. The Manchester Group of the Victorian Society. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Church of St Thomas". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "St Thomas' Church and Community". St Thomas' Leesfield C of E Primary School. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
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