Parish Heritage Day 2026
Holy Trinity Church, Bolton-le-Sands
Date: Saturday, 31st October 2026. 10-4pm
Event Overview
A day of discovery as we open the doors of Bolton-le-Sands’ oldest building. From Anglo-Saxon carvings to Victorian restorations, Holy Trinity tells the story of our parish over the last millennium.
Scheduled Activities (Draft)
- Bell Ringing: A demonstration of the church bells, including the 15th-century bell cast in Nottingham. Proposed.
- Guided History Tour TV Presentation: A walk-through of the architectural phases, from the 15th-century tower to the 19th-century nave.
- The “Preaching Cross” TV Presentation: A short presentation on the 10th-century Anglo-Saxon and Viking stone fragments kept in the tower.
- Victorian Visionaries TV Presentation: A look at the work of Sharpe, Paley, and Austin, the famous architects who shaped the church’s current look.
- All Day: * Exhibition of parish records and historical photographs.
- Children’s “Heritage Hunter” brass rubbing and scavenger hunt.
- Keith Budden’s Postcard Presentation
- Refreshments served during the day.
Historical Highlights to Explore
1. The Ancient Roots (Pre-1094)
While the current building has 15th-century elements, the site is much older.
- Anglo-Saxon Fragments: Look for the 10th-century carved stones—remnants of a high preaching cross that stood here before the Norman conquest.
- Viking Influence: Viking-age burial stones on display in the tower area highlight the Norse-Gaelic heritage of the Lune Valley.
2. The Medieval Fabric
- The West Tower: Dating from the late 1400s, constructed in ashlar sandstone with beautiful diagonal buttresses.
- The North Arcade: Five bays with octagonal piers that survived the later reconstructions.
3. Curiosities & Memorials
- The “100-Year-Old” Man: In the north aisle, look for the memorial to Mr. Robert Cole (d. 1642), who was famously “supposed to have lived over 100 years.”
- St. Michael’s Legacy: The church was originally dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel. Notice the west tower window (installed 1891) depicting an angel defeating a dragon—a nod to this original dedication.
Did You Know?
- The 1326 Endowment: In 1326 (exactly 700 years before this heritage year!), the vicar was granted seven acres of land and the profits from local honey production as part of his “living.”
- Civil War Drama: In 1649, the vicar Henry Compton was imprisoned in the Tower of London for his loyalties during the English Civil War.
