St Thomas' Church

The church was designed by John Latham and built between 1837 and 1839 at a cost of £4,500. When first built the church could seat about 1,100 people. It is recorded in 1869 that near the entrance to the church was a curtained pew that was occupied by Edward Hermon, the local Member of Parliament. The church was declared redundant on 1 November 1983. In May 1987 it was in "civic, cultural or community" use, and from 6 February 2001 it has been used for "worship by other Christian bodies". From 2014 it was the Preston Elim Pentecostal Church. From 2018 it became known as St Thomas Centre, after it was purchased and used by City Church Preston. City Church Preston has a significant diaspora…

St Thomas' is built in sandstone with slate roofs, and is mainly in Romanesque Revival (Norman) style; all the openings are round-headed. The church consists of a six-bay nave with a clerestory, north and south aisles, and a chancel with a five-sided apse, which is flanked by north and south vestries. Above the chancel is a three-stage tower with a window on each side of the middle stage and two-light bell openings in the top stage. Surmounting the tower is a broach spire. In the lower part of the west front is a window in a Norman-style surround flanked by windows in two tiers. Above this is a three-light window, and in the gable is a wheel window. The wheel window is currently undertaking…