The Grade II* former Church of St Luke in Warrington, built in 1892 by Bodley & Garner.
Grade II*-listed, 1892-3, George Frederick Bodley
The former church of St Luke was designed by George Frederick Bodley, a noted exponent of the fourteenth-century English Gothic, and built between 1892 and 1893. Its architectural significance is derived from its unusual five-bay central nave arcade, in which clustered piers carry high arches supporting the nave roof collars and apex. There are thought to be only three medieval naves of this type, and this is possibly the earliest of the few produced during the Gothic Revival, if not also the most significant. Worship has not taken place in the church for more than thirty years, and since then it has been declared redundant, serving instead as a storage facility for building supplies. It is not properly maintained, and there are concerns about the condition of its distinguishing features. As a piece of architecture, St. Luke’s is unorthodox and highly inventive, and the result is remarkable: a new use is clearly required that respects the extraordinary nature of the interior, and if the owner is unwilling to act, the local council should take a leadership role in its restoration and repair.
Christopher Costelloe, Director of the The Victorian Society, said: ‘This is a really unusual church of great architectural interest, by one of the greatest architects of the period. It is far too good to be lost, and its importance lies predominantly in its interior, making subdivision impossible. Public bodies and Warrington Council need to give serious thought on how to save this architectural jewel.’
Status Update / March 2026
The building continues to lie vacant, and has been subjected to vandalism and arson attacks, with a significant fire tearing through the building in 2020. More recently, it has become the subject of interest for criminologists, as Preston Crown Court ordered the owner and director to pay £77,000 plus costs for negligence in 2025. The sentencing relates to the earlier fire and demonstrates the seriousness with which heritage crime.