The Church of All Souls, Little Bolton in the County of -- Lancashire --

This church is now closed for worship.

	All Souls Church Board

From The Bolton Journal, Saturday, June 6 1885, reproduced here by the kind permission of the Bolton News.

All Souls ‘Church, without doubt one of the best ecclesiastical edifices in the diocese of Manchester, is like that of St. Peter’s Halliwell, a view of which we gave a fortnight ago, a noble monument of local munificence on the part of a Townsman, being built by Thomas Greenhalgh, Esq, of Thornydikes , Sharples, from means bequeathed to him ,as residuary legatee of his late brother, Nathaniel Greenhalgh Esq, who died February 14 1877, and forms part of a scheme by which the latter gentleman gave to Bolton two of the handsomest churches in the town, the second being the Church of the Saviour, now nearing completion in Pikes Lane. The situation of All Souls is admirable , its commandind appearance being visible, through it’s elevation and colossal proportions, from several distant points. It is easily approached, the north Side facing Astley Street, off Blackburn Rd., and it’s west end opening into Wolfenden Street, off Halliwell Rd. The church is of the late decorated period of Gothic Architecture. In plan it is exceedingly simple, comprising a nave 80ft by 52 ft, without aisles or arcades, but with a massive tower at the west end.

At the east end a chancel , with north and south sides utilised by the organ and choir vestry’s. The main object in the plan has been to secure an un obstructed space as far as possible ; the whole church, with the exception of the western tower, forming a complete parallelogram. The main walls of the entire structure are of red brick with stone dressings. The ground floor of the tower is devoted to the baptistery, and contains a massive font of yellow Mansfield stone. The chancel floor is paved with white marble, relieved with black marble ,diamond shaped. The reredon ,which is of Mansfield Stone, contains panels inscribed with the Apostles’ Creed, the Decalogue, and the Lords Prayer. The east end of the chancel contains one large and two smaller windows filled with rich stained glass. The principal window in the tower at the west end is also of stained glass, and is unique in design, the colours being of a subdued hue, and it’s six divisions containing representations illustrative of the six days of creation; and a wheel window , representing fruit, is placed on each side of the tower window.

The organ , which is by Mr. Abbottt, of Leeds, is a fine toned instrument, consisting of two complete manuals,and great and swell organ containing 25 stops. It’s entire cost was about £700. The tower contains a peal of eight sweet toned bells by the firm of Messrs.J.Taylor and sons. Loughborough. The peal is the heaviest in Bolton.

The architects of the church were Messrs.Paley and Austin of Lancaster, the total expenditure upon the structure and accessories was £20, 000. The accommodation in the church is free and for 800 worshippers, the population for All Souls parish - carved out of the district chapelry of St. James’s,and formed into a new parish on the consecration of the church in 1881- is about 4,500. The patronage of the living is vested in five trustees, viz ,Messrs. Thomas Greenhalgh, Henry Murton, Thomas Pearson, W.P.Fullagar, and Captain Hesketh.The Rev.W. Popplewell, M.A.(Jesus College, Oxford), who was previously Incumbant of St Thomas’s, Halliwell, was the first Vicar of the parish, and still holds the living, which is worth £300 per annum. The substantial stone residence known as Astley Bank, erected by the late Job Stones, Esq, Mayor of Bolton 1832/33, was purchaqsed by Mr. T. Greenhalgh for £2,000, and has been made available as a vicarage house for the benefee.Adjoining the church are handsome schools, erected by Mr. T..Greenhalgh at a cost of £6,000, and containing accommodation for 800 scholars.

The total outlay for church,school, site, vicarage house and endowments was upwards of £30,000.

And taken from Bolton Journal and Guardian Friday 2nd August 1935. Bolton’s notable buildings feature.

Extract from above ,” All Souls ‘ has one little defect and that is the echo from the pulpit. The vicar (Rev. G.A. Harper ) has discovered exactly where to throw his voice so as to avoid this. But woe betide a visiting preacher”

	The Church of All Souls, Little Bolton

	The Church of All Souls, Little Bolton

	Memorial inside All Souls, Little Bolton

	Memorial inside All Souls, left hand panel

	Memorial inside All Souls, centre panel

	Memorial inside All Souls, right hand panel