St Peter & St Paul
Ormskirk, Lancashire
It is unusual enough to see a church with both a tower and a steeple (there are only three in England) but this church is unique in having them placed at the same end.
Built in 1843 by Sydney Smirke. Enlarged 1860. Sandstone ashlar with slate roofs. Comprises a west tower with spire, nave, lower chancel, north aisle under a pitched roof, and north vestry. The tower has angle buttresses, paired lancet bell openings, and corner pinnacles with flying buttresses to the stone spire. The west doorway projects slightly under a gable and is moulded with angle shafts.
The tympanum is carved with three angels. The west window of the north aisle, which was added in 1860, has three lights with geometric tracery. The south wall of the nave has three lights separated by buttresses with pinnacles and has a corbel table below a parapet. The windows are paired lancets. In the south wall of the chancel is a single lancet. The three sided east end has similar windows.
The east window of the vestry has two pointed lights with a foiled circle in the head. The north wall of the aisle has three bays. The western bay has a doorway with trefoiled head and angle shafts within a gabled projection. The interiorof the north arcade has four bays. The pointed arches are plastered, have two plain orders, and spring from round piers with moulded capitals. At the west end of the nave is a gallery with a timber front carried on timber posts.
The king post roof has curved braces to raised tie beams. The plastered chancel arch is pointed and chamfered. Around the apse is a blind arcade of pointed arches springing from engaged shafts. The octagonal font is decorated with interlaced round arches. The apse windows contain glass from the late 1860s showing scenes from the life of Christ.
