St Andrew
Bolton on Dearne, Yorkshire
This lovely church, a shrine of great antiquity, hallowed by over 900 years of prayer and praise, is possibly one of the oldest churches in South Yorkshire.
It was the first church in England to be built almost entirely in reinforced concrete, including all the principal internal furnishings within the church (which are of finely finished concrete), the Presbytery, which is attached to the church, and even the boundary walls.
The experimental nature of this construction, however, meant that the composition of the concrete allowed acidic water to leach through and rust the metal core of the walls. By the 1990s the church structure was showing significant signs of degradation and had to be substantially reinforced. The church was rehallowed in June 2002.
It is beautifully proportioned and filled with interesting and innovating architectural and ecclesiastical features.
