Member Article

Stonyhurst Altar Refurbishment Project Receives High Praise

Preston-based architectural and planning consultancy, Cassidy + Ashton, has successfully completed an historical marble altar refurbishment and installation project at St Peter’s Church, Stonyhurst in the Ribble Valley.

The complex project, commissioned by Stonyhurst College, the Society of Jesus and the Parish, involved the replacement of the previous timber altar with a permanent marble altar more befitting of the impressive Grade I-listed building, following a recent major restoration of the church also designed by Cassidy + Ashton.

The marble altar was gifted by John and Bridget Weld Blundell from the nearby Leagram Hall. The restoration of the ornate marble altar, undertaken by Alberti Lupton’s of Manchester, involved specialist cleaning and polishing, as well as the addition of a horizontal marble plinth and re-strengthening of the church’s sanctuary floor to receive the major installation.

The marble altar was used by the Archbishop of Liverpool in a recent service and described as “marvellous” by St Peter’s Parish Priest, Fr Peter Griffiths SJ.

The former alter at St Peters has now been installed at St Vincent De Paul in Liverpool.

Michael Hartley, RIBA specialist conservation architect and director at Cassidy + Ashton, said: “It was a privilege to again work on this important and beautiful church and to provide the finishing touches to the restoration work we recently undertook.

“We have been the appointed architect for numerous projects at Stonyhurst for almost 18 years and this particular job has added to our extensive portfolio of ecclesiastical works that we have completed for various diocese and denominations.”

Established in 1960, the company, which has experience in a large and varied portfolio of building types, advises on matters relating to town planning, masterplanning and environmental issues and works with developers, landowners, companies and private individuals across the UK.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Cassidy + Ashton .