Holcombe (C of E) Church (4)
Bury Reference and Information Services
Book
| Location | Collection | Call number | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bury Library | Local History Miscellaneous File | LOC-MISC | Available |
Main title:
Notes:
The lands of Holcombe passed to the Priory of Monk Bretton in Yorkshire in 1225 and sometime between this date and the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539, the Chantry of Holcombe was founded. A church in Holcombe was referred to in the Diocesan List Of 1516 but it is not known if this was the first building to appear on the site. There have been a number of church re-buildings and enlargements on this site since the 16thcentury, the present building being consecrated in 1853 by the First Bishop of Manchester Dr Prince Lee. The architect for the building was Thomas Holt of Bury. The Church is constructed in the revived Gothic style of the Victorian period and it has been given a very subdued and solid treatment. It is not a remarkable building but it is important as a landmark due to the dominance of its site. The site illustrates the importance of natural materials. The Church buildin, the lych gate, boundary walls and the gravestones are all in natural stone, roofs are in stone flags and slates. They show how natural materials are in aisual harmony with each other and with the surroundings landscape. Just to the south of the Church there is a sundial which stands on an octagonal pedestal with a squared top, which itself is on top of a large stone with steps to one side. The squared top carries the inscription 'IW' on one face and the date 1753 on another. Before this date, around 1726, a parsonage was built to the west of the Church either on land which is now part of the churchyard or further west between the churchyard and the car park of the Shoulder of Mutton. It was demolished in 1856 when a new rectory (now known as the Old Rectory) was built to the east of the Church, and it is possible that the sundial was originally located in the grounds of the 1726 parsonage.
Local class:
LOC-MISC
Language:
English
BRN:
3437403