St Mary's Church

St Mary’s Church stands in St Mary’s Street in the centre of Preston, Lancashire. It is a former Anglican parish church built in the early 19th century to serve the growing town. The building began in May 1836 and opened in 1838 under the direction of John Latham. Later extensions in the 1850s added transepts and a chancel designed by E. H. Shellard. In 1996 the church was declared redundant and converted in 2006 into a conservation centre for the Museum of Lancashire. The structure is now a Grade II listed building on the National Heritage List for England. The church is built of sandstone with a slate roof and follows a Romanesque Revival style. Its plan includes a five-bay nave, transepts on east and west sides, and a chancel. The south end features a four-stage tower with a needle spire and lucarnes. Round-headed windows line the nave and transepts, divided by pilasters. The chancel has three lancet windows and a circular window above. Hartwell and Pevsner note its resemblance to Tewkesbury Abbey and works by Wren and Hawksmoor in its massing. Outside, the churchyard is enclosed by Grade II listed walls and gate piers of matching sandstone. The piers have panelled sides and pyramidal caps, while the ramped gates carry spear-headed railings. Some sections of wall retain original railings, though others were replaced in the 20th century. The setting preserves the church’s historic character while serving as a conservation centre today.