Church of St. Walburge, Preston
| St Walburge's Church | |
|---|---|
| Catholic Church of St Walburge's, Preston | |
View from the east, along Pedder Street,
with St. Mark's in the distance |
|
 St Walburge's Church
Location in Preston
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| 53°45′46″N 2°42′54″W / 53.7629°N 2.7150°WCoordinates: 53°45′46″N 2°42′54″W / 53.7629°N 2.7150°W | |
| OS grid reference | SD5296129851 |
| Location | Preston, Lancashire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | stwalburge |
| History | |
| Founded | 1847 |
| Dedication | Saint Walpurga |
| Consecrated | 3 August 1854 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 12 June 1950 |
| Architect(s) | J. A. Hansom |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | May 1850 |
| Completed | 1873 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 55 yards (50 m) |
| Width | 18 yards (16 m) |
| Spire height | 309 feet (94 m) |
| Materials |
Sandstone body, slate roof Limestone steeple |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Preston |
| Diocese | Lancaster |
| Province | Liverpool |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Bishop Michael Campbell |
St Walburge's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Preston, Lancashire, England, northwest of the city centre on Weston Street. The church was built in the mid 19th century by the Gothic revival architect Joseph Hansom, designer of the hansom cab and is famous as having the tallest spire of any parish church in England. St Walburge's is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.
In April 2014, Michael Campbell, Roman Catholic Bishop of Lancaster, announced that the church would be entrusted to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest in autumn 2014, as a shrine for Eucharistic Devotion.
St Walburge's is dedicated to Saint Walpurga, an English saint, born 710 AD., daughter of St. Richard, a Saxon king. With her two brothers St. Willibald and St. Winebald, she went to Germany as a missionary. She was renowned for her miraculous healing of illnesses. The church is part of the Catholic revival that transpired during the time of England's Catholic emancipation.
St Walburge's Church is situated in the Maudlands district of Preston, so called because of its association with St Mary Magdalene of which name the word "Maudlands" is a corruption. St Walburge's is located near the site of a 12th-century leprosy hospital dedicated to St Mary Magdalene.
In 1847, at a time of great Roman Catholic revival in England, and prosperity brought by the textile mills of Lancashire, the architect, Joseph Hansom, was commissioned to build a large church. Work began on the construction of the church in May 1850, and it was ready for an opening ceremony on 3 August 1854. The church was further extended, with its polygonal sanctuary with central window 35 feet (11 m) high being added in 1873.
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