Church of the Sacred Heart Coniston Cumbria

The Parish of St Francis of Assisi is comprised of Our Lady & Saint James' Catholic Church, Millom and the Church of the Sacred Heart, Coniston.

The Parish is situated within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster.

Millom is a small coastal town situated on the fringe of the Lake District National Park, in the southerly part of Copeland District.

Coniston is a village in the Furness region of Cumbria. It is located in the southern part of the Lake District National Park, between Coniston Water, the third longest lake in the Lake District, and Coniston Old Man; about 18 miles (29 km) north east of Barrow-in-Furness.

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The Mission of Coniston was founded in 1866. “Its suggestion was due to Amèlieex-Queen of the French who, in 1859, spent the autumn in Coniston and afterwards gave a substantial sum to the erection of a church”. (Victoria History of the Counties of England.)

Prior to the foundation of the Mission, people made their way to Ulverston for Mass. Between its foundation and the opening of the Church six years later, Mass was first said in Dunn’s cottage, Cat Bank, by Fr. Laverty of Belmont. Later the “loft by Baxter’s” was used.

The Church was designed by James O’Byrne, Architect, of Liverpool and built by George Usher of Coniston. It was opened by The Right Reverend Dr. A. Goss, Bishop of Liverpool, on the 29th September 1872 - the Sunday preceding his death. The Coniston Mission was the first Catholic Mission at any of the English Lakes. (Catholic Family Annual and Almanac for the Diocese of Liverpool, 1890.)

The principal benefactor of the Coniston Mission was Miss Elizabeth Ann Aglionby of Wigton Hall who is buried in the graveyard to the west of the Church doors.

The following account of the opening of the church is from an unidentified newspaper cutting :

“The new Roman Catholic Chapel at Coniston was consecrated on Sunday last by Dr. Goss, of Liverpool. It is built in a field at the low end of Coniston, near Haws Bank, adjoining the railway. It is a large and well built structure, with a large square tower. In the interior it is most neatly and commodiously fitted up. It is built of blue Coniston flag-stone and has an imposing appearance from the road. An impressive discourse was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Fisher of Preston, in which he took occasion to remind his hearers that they were attempting to revive a worship which had formerly prevailed in this worship district, at Cartmel Church, and Furness Abbey. High Mass was celebrated, and after the various ceremonies usual on such occasions, the chapel was declared open for public worship.”

The church is an eight bay structure constructed of blue Coniston flag-stone and roofed in slate. The south entrance is via a German Romanesque-style tower with a distinct saddleback roof. The 130lb church bell housed in the tower was blessed by Bishop O’Reilly in June 1881. The main entrance is through double doors set in a Gothic arch. The interior is a single volume with a pitched plaster ceiling and plaster walls, and plain Gothic walls, and a plain Gothic wooden carvings separating the nave from the sanctuary. The baptismal Font is made from Coniston Green Slate. The Cemetery Cross was probably erected in 1947. It was made from Coniston oak by Mr. Coward of Coniston. The base is of Coniston stone. It would seem that it was modelled from a cross at Crosslands Convent, Barrow designed by Patterson of Manchester.

Stained Glass Windows: The windows at the West end of the Church depict the Crucifixion. The side windows to the Church depict the Joyful and the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. The windows in the nave were inserted circa 1937. In the sanctuary, two windows were donated for use in the south side, while John Ruskin donated the East window, behind the altar. Behind the Altar is the window gifted by John Ruskin. The subject of the illustration is the vision of St John in the Isle of Patmos. At the bottom of the three lights is the following inscription: “These are they who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb”. The windows to the South side of the altar were donated by Miss Aglionby and the Gibson family. There is no information about the windows on the North side of the altar.

Acknowledgement: The information contained within this booklet was taken from “A Short History of the Parish” written by by Fr E McCartan a former Parish priest, to commemorate the centenary of the opening of the Church on the 29th September 1872.