St Peter

St Peters Westleigh is an Anglican parish church designated as Grade II* listed. In its garden stands a 1919 Grade ll listed War Memorial. A catalogue has been created of the 129 local soldiers killed in the first World War.

The building was designed by the Lancaster architects Paley & Austin. The architectural historians Pollard and Pevsner describe it as one of their most radical and thrilling churches. Building of the church started in 1879 and it was completed and consecrated in 1881.

The church is constructed in local cheap red brick relieved by red Runcorn sandstone dressing with a slate roof. The window openings are mostly square headed on the south (main) elevation, only the large window lighting the base of the tower is pointed. The tower is the defining feature of the building both inside and out. It is large and bold and is made more dramatic by the way in which the east and west sides are flush with the buttresses.

The layout of the building consists of a three bay nave with a narrow north aisle. A four bay arcade is carried on circular red sandstone piers with moulded capitals. The walls are bare brick. In addition, there is a two bay chancel with a north vestry, a south porch and central tower. For all its vast exterior bulk, the tower is placed unusually over the eastern part of the nave: it is carried on capital less mounded brick arches which close the view to the inside of the tower.

The nave roof is typically robust Paley & Austin tie beam design whist the chancel roof is of a hammer beam construction. The east and west windows have five and four transom lights respectively. The stained glass in the east window dates from 1949 and is by Abbot and Company of Lancaster. The alabaster pulpit, which complements the reredos, was formerly in Manchester Cathedral. Due to the Cathedral being extensively damaged during the war the pulpit was removed and installed in St Peter's in 1949.

Tubular bells were installed in 1908.