St Thomas' Church, Garstang

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 mi 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…

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. The three-light east window contains a stained glass image of Saint Thomas, designed by Carl Almquist of the Lancaster-based firm Shrigley & Hunt. There is also a depiction of the Ascension of Jesus by the same firm. There is a bronze sculpture of Christ in the chancel, designed in 1974 by Josefina de Vasconcellos.