St Thomas' Church, Garstang

St Thomas', Garstang
St Thomas', Garstang Location in the Borough of Wyre
Coordinates: 53°53′57″N 2°46′34″W / 53.8991°N 2.7762°W / 53.8991; -2.7762
OS grid reference	SD 49093 45049
Location	Garstang, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	17 April 1967
Architect(s)	Richard Gillow Paley and Austin
Administration
Deanery	Garstang
Archdeaconry	Lancaster
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York

St Thomas' Church is an Anglican church in Garstang, a market town in Lancashire, England. It is an active Church of England parish church in the Diocese of Blackburn and the archdeaconry of Lancaster. The church was built in 1770 as a chapel of ease to St Helen's Church in nearby Kirkland and was later assigned its own parish. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

Historically, the township of Garstang was part of the ecclesiastical parish of the same name. Garstang's parish church was St Helen's Church, approximately 2 miles (3 km) away in the township of Kirkland. A chapel of ease to St Helen's was built in the township of Garstang in the 15th century. The chapel was dedicated to the Holy Trinity. By the 18th century, this chapel had fallen into disuse.

In 1770, a new chapel was built on a different site in the town and dedicated to Saint Thomas; the architect was Richard Gillow. In 1879, a chancel was added to the church, probably by Lancaster-based architecture firm Paley and Austin. In 1881, St Thomas' became a parish church in its own right. Around this time, the churchyard was enlarged.

St Thomas' Church is built of sandstone rubble and its roofs are slate. The plan consists of a nave with a tower to the west, a chancel and a transept to the north. The tower is square with extensions to the north and south. It has round-headed bell openings.