Tower from the South side, photo by Alison Wearing 6th December 2006

Ashton in Makerfield was originally a chapelry of Winwick, with St Thomas its chapel. A chapel was built in 1746 on Sir William Gerard’s ground. It was enlarged in 1784 and 1815. In 1845 on the division of the rectory of Winwick, St Thomas was made a parish church and endowed with the tithes of Haydock. Pevsner describes the current St Thomas’s as being built in 1891 to 1893 by Oldham of Manchester. His description is of an aged red sandstone building with a low west tower. On the north side there is a transeptal projection which is set diagonally so as to fit the side of the church. In this projection there is a rose window with free tracery. Inside there are wide aisles with arches “dying into the piers”. See the St Thomas web site.

The Rose Window, photo by Alison Wearing 6th December 2006