St Mary the Virgin Church in Eccleston, Lancashire, is a Church of England (Anglican) parish church. It is part of the Blackburn Diocese and is known for its worship within the modern Catholic tradition of the Church of England. The church has a long history, with a church serving the area since 1094, and is currently part of a United Benefice with Charnock Richard.
The church is renowned for its historic building, including parts from the 13th century and a tower added later.
The name Eccleston means "church town" and indicates a church here in pre-Saxon days. The present building is the third on the site and dates from the early 14th century.
Although there has been a church on this site since 1094 AD, the present building in its original form was in existence in 1182, but there are very good reasons for believing that there may have been a Saxon church on this same site. On the altar tomb rests part of a Saxon cross discovered in 1915 in a ditch adjacent to the church. The original building was enlarged in the 13th Century by the addition of the South aisle. The hexagonal pillars with plain and somewhat severe capitals and pointed arches belong to this period. The South aisle was carried straight through to provide the Chantry Chapel, correctly called the Jesus Chapel as the whole of the church is dedicated to The Blessed Virgin Mary. The tower was probably added in the 13th Century with the bell stage added in the 15th Century and the parapet added in 1733. The porch at the South entrance to the church was refurbished in 1996. A statuette of the Virgin Mary commissioned by Rev'd Richard Bretherton Hawkshead-Talbot, has been placed in the niche in the entrance, there having been no statue there since the 16th Century. The sculptor of the statue is Thompson Dagnell of Bretherton. The Rev'd Bretherton Hawkshead Talbot was Rector of this Parish from 1958 to 1979 and he commissioned the figure in memory of his father and brother who were Rectors of the Parish before him.
The church is renowned for its historic building, including parts from the 13th century and a tower added later.
The name Eccleston means "church town" and indicates a church here in pre-Saxon days. The present building is the third on the site and dates from the early 14th century.
Although there has been a church on this site since 1094 AD, the present building in its original form was in existence in 1182, but there are very good reasons for believing that there may have been a Saxon church on this same site. On the altar tomb rests part of a Saxon cross discovered in 1915 in a ditch adjacent to the church. The original building was enlarged in the 13th Century by the addition of the South aisle. The hexagonal pillars with plain and somewhat severe capitals and pointed arches belong to this period. The South aisle was carried straight through to provide the Chantry Chapel, correctly called the Jesus Chapel as the whole of the church is dedicated to The Blessed Virgin Mary. The tower was probably added in the 13th Century with the bell stage added in the 15th Century and the parapet added in 1733. The porch at the South entrance to the church was refurbished in 1996. A statuette of the Virgin Mary commissioned by Rev'd Richard Bretherton Hawkshead-Talbot, has been placed in the niche in the entrance, there having been no statue there since the 16th Century. The sculptor of the statue is Thompson Dagnell of Bretherton. The Rev'd Bretherton Hawkshead Talbot was Rector of this Parish from 1958 to 1979 and he commissioned the figure in memory of his father and brother who were Rectors of the Parish before him.
