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Before St George's church was built, non-conformity was represented in the village of Thornton Hough
by a Wesleyan Chapel. However, at the start of the twentieth century, Mr William Hesketh Lever -
later to be the first Viscount Leverhulme - commissioned Mr J Lomax Simpson to build a Norman
Romanesque church as accurately as possible. A site was selected in the centre of the village, where a
blacksmith's forge and cottages had stood, and work began on a new church, the foundation stone
being laid by Mrs Lever on April the eleventh, 1906. The site was lowered by some four feet so that
the new church should not dominate the village.
Lomax Simpson was concerned that the building should look authentic; to that end he studied and
sketched many Romanesque buildings before completing his design. He undertook a sketching tour on
which he was accompanied by Mr E O Griffith, the architectural sculptor of Liverpool. The result of their
work is a gem of a building, a cathedral in miniature, which benefits from being a unified design yet
has a genuine feel rather than a sense of pastiche. Mr Lever commissioned the best workmanship as
well as the finest design, employing Smith Brothers of Burnley to build in Helsby "Flecked" sandstone,
with Hatch Brothers of Lancaster in charge of woodwork and Messrs Swindley of Chester for ironwork.
The church was completed a little over a year from its foundation and opened as a Congregational
Church on May the twenty-seventh, 1907.
The principal features of Romanesque style are the rounded arch and multiple column, each of which is
well represented in St George's. There is an amazing variety of designs, with very few repetitions, so
that the Church could almost act as a text-book of patterns.
Norman decoration used either geometric or natural forms. On the capitols of the pillars literally
hundreds of different designs can be seen. Some are mythological, some almost classical and those
around the crossing showing Biblical scenes. The arches and the arcading are varied with every type
of geometric pattern, some even showing relief carving where the mason has managed to make some
of the design free-standing.
The church's woodwork is similarly rich: the altar rails have sixty-eight different shaft patterns; the
entrance screen has carved shafts and a series of elaborate modillions on either side; pew ends are
carved in cable work in the body of the church, and interlaced blind arcading in the chancel; the organ
case is surmounted with an array of gargoyle-like figures; the doors have scrolled strap hinges.
The principal features of Romanesque style are the rounded arch and multiple column, each of which is
well represented in St George's. There is an amazing variety of designs, with very few repetitions, so
that the Church could almost act as a text-book of patterns.
Norman decoration used either geometric or natural forms. On the capitols of the pillars literally
hundreds of different designs can be seen. Some are mythological, some almost classical and those
around the crossing showing Biblical scenes. The arches and the arcading are varied with every type
of geometric pattern, some even showing relief carving where the mason has managed to make some
of the design free-standing.
All of the above information was taken directly from St Georges Parish Website.
For further information please visit the St Georges Parish website here.
or to contact the Church please us the following:
St George's United Reformed Church
Thornton Hough
Wirral
CH63 1JJ
Tel: 0151 691 1140
Email: dl.stewart@ukonline.co.uk
by a Wesleyan Chapel. However, at the start of the twentieth century, Mr William Hesketh Lever -
later to be the first Viscount Leverhulme - commissioned Mr J Lomax Simpson to build a Norman
Romanesque church as accurately as possible. A site was selected in the centre of the village, where a
blacksmith's forge and cottages had stood, and work began on a new church, the foundation stone
being laid by Mrs Lever on April the eleventh, 1906. The site was lowered by some four feet so that
the new church should not dominate the village.
Lomax Simpson was concerned that the building should look authentic; to that end he studied and
sketched many Romanesque buildings before completing his design. He undertook a sketching tour on
which he was accompanied by Mr E O Griffith, the architectural sculptor of Liverpool. The result of their
work is a gem of a building, a cathedral in miniature, which benefits from being a unified design yet
has a genuine feel rather than a sense of pastiche. Mr Lever commissioned the best workmanship as
well as the finest design, employing Smith Brothers of Burnley to build in Helsby "Flecked" sandstone,
with Hatch Brothers of Lancaster in charge of woodwork and Messrs Swindley of Chester for ironwork.
The church was completed a little over a year from its foundation and opened as a Congregational
Church on May the twenty-seventh, 1907.
The principal features of Romanesque style are the rounded arch and multiple column, each of which is
well represented in St George's. There is an amazing variety of designs, with very few repetitions, so
that the Church could almost act as a text-book of patterns.
Norman decoration used either geometric or natural forms. On the capitols of the pillars literally
hundreds of different designs can be seen. Some are mythological, some almost classical and those
around the crossing showing Biblical scenes. The arches and the arcading are varied with every type
of geometric pattern, some even showing relief carving where the mason has managed to make some
of the design free-standing.
The church's woodwork is similarly rich: the altar rails have sixty-eight different shaft patterns; the
entrance screen has carved shafts and a series of elaborate modillions on either side; pew ends are
carved in cable work in the body of the church, and interlaced blind arcading in the chancel; the organ
case is surmounted with an array of gargoyle-like figures; the doors have scrolled strap hinges.
The principal features of Romanesque style are the rounded arch and multiple column, each of which is
well represented in St George's. There is an amazing variety of designs, with very few repetitions, so
that the Church could almost act as a text-book of patterns.
Norman decoration used either geometric or natural forms. On the capitols of the pillars literally
hundreds of different designs can be seen. Some are mythological, some almost classical and those
around the crossing showing Biblical scenes. The arches and the arcading are varied with every type
of geometric pattern, some even showing relief carving where the mason has managed to make some
of the design free-standing.
All of the above information was taken directly from St Georges Parish Website.
For further information please visit the St Georges Parish website here.
or to contact the Church please us the following:
St George's United Reformed Church
Thornton Hough
Wirral
CH63 1JJ
Tel: 0151 691 1140
Email: dl.stewart@ukonline.co.uk
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