Church of St. Walburge, Preston

St Walburge’s is a Roman Catholic church on Weston Street in Preston, standing northwest of the city centre. It was built in the mid-19th century to designs by Joseph Hansom, the Gothic Revival architect who also created the hansom cab. The church holds the tallest spire of any parish church in England, rising 309 feet and dominating the Preston skyline. Its limestone spire, originally made from railway sleepers, catches the red light of sunset. Inside, the nave stretches 165 feet and seats about 1,000 people beneath an open timber roof supported by fourteen hammerbeams. The church is Grade I listed and recognised as one of the North West’s architectural gems. The church is dedicated to Saint Walpurga, an English saint of the 8th century who worked as a missionary in Germany and became known for healing the sick. In 2014 Bishop Michael Campbell of Lancaster entrusted the church to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest to serve as a shrine for Eucharistic devotion. Daily Mass and the sacraments are now celebrated in the Traditional Roman Rite, while Sunday Mass in the Ordinary Form continues. The shrine was formally opened in September 2014 with a High Mass led by Gilles Wach, Prior General of the Institute, in the presence of the bishop. Visitors find a soaring interior lit by a 22-foot rose window and lined with carved figures of saints on the hammerbeams. The sanctuary contains a triptych and a crucifix bearing Preston’s shield and the motto “Princeps Pacis.” A William Hill organ from 1855 stands in the gallery, and statues of St Ignatius of Loyola and the patron saints of Great Britain are prominently placed. The tower houses a single bell of 1.5 tonnes, the heaviest swinging bell in Lancashire, though it is rung only in winter. On selected weekend evenings the spire is open to visitors, offering a close view of its craftsmanship and the city beyond.