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The black plague, reformation, two world wars and martyrs burned at the stake – history seeps out of the walls of this Bolton church. Deane Parish Church is one of Bolton's most historic buildings, and on Saturday (April 5) its doors were opened to the public. Reverend Dr Terry Clarke, Rector of Deane since 2010, said they had their first open day last year which was "a great success".
He said: "It was mainly people from Bolton – but we actually had somebody come from France to visit the church. "We have this wonderful medieval church building and for most of the week – most of the year – it’s closed." Deane Parish Church is one of the oldest churches in Bolton (Image: Newsquest) The church's roots go back all the way to 1227, when it was set up as a chapel by Cistercian monks.
It became a parish church in 1541 under Henry VIII. The present building is more than five centuries old – dating back to 1452 – but parts date back even further. The north doorway dates back to the 13th century and the tower was built in the 14th century.
The North Door itself dates back to 1738, but the doorway was built in the 13th century (Image: Newsquest) The church daughtered 21 other churches, as the industrial revolution brought a boom in population – and Christianity. A major restoration was undertaken in the 1800s, with the church reopened by Bishop of Manchester, Dr James Fraser, on December 22, 1884. Bolton's famous Hulton family were the main benefactors of the church until the early 20th century, and even had their own private doorway.
The old Hulton doorway which has been bricked up (Image: Newsquest) The Elizabethan pulpit inside the church is said to be the oldest in Lancashire and a brass candelabrum dates from 1737. A group of people had the chance to take part in a "bell ringing workshop" and ring the church's bells. There are eight bells in total which ring out when the cord is pulled.
Rev Clarke said: "Probably one of the most famous sons of Deane is George Marsh." George Marsh, Bolton's only martyr, was burned at the stake in 1555 for refusing to recant his Protestant faith during their persecution under the reign of Mary I. A depiction of the scene is carved into the church's altar.
The altar is engraved with the execution of George Marsh (Image: Newsquest) The church yard surrounding the building is the largest in the UK according to Rev Clarke. It has centuries worth of parishioners buried there – and the graveyard is still in use. Deane Parish Church's church yard is one of the largest in the UK (Image: Newsquest) Rev Clarke said: "We don't want this to become a ruin, we don't want this to become a museum – this is a living church.
"It's a living, thriving place where people can come and ask big questions about life." He said that the turn out on Saturday had been even better than the first open day. Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Andy Morgan came to take the tour himself, along with the mayoress.
Rev Dr Terry Clarke giving the mayor and mayoress a tour of the church (Image: Henry Lisowski) READ MORE: Horwich Parish Church boost via listed places of worship scheme READ MORE: The Well Farnworth redundancies after funding shortfall READ MORE: Bolton Wanderers ground hosts Islamophobia conference Rev Clarke said: "I think this is even more successful than last year, judging by the amount of people here, and we’ve only been open for an hour and a bit. "Although we appreciate our history, our centuries of history, we’re not stuck in the past – we’re very much a forward looking church. "I think the future of the church is wonderful – and I’m not just saying that because I’m paid to say that!".
