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Shrine Church of Saint Walburge, Preston

Shrine Church of Saint Walburge, Preston

St Walburge's is dedicated to Saint Walpurga, an English saint, born 710 AD., daughter of St. Richard, a Saxon king. With her two brothers St. Willibald an...
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St Walburge's is dedicated to Saint Walpurga, an English saint, born 710 AD., daughter of St. Richard, a Saxon king. With her two brothers St. Willibald and St. Winebald, she went to Germany as a missionary. She was renowned for her miraculous healing of illnesses. The church is part of the Catholic revival that transpired during the time of England's Catholic emancipation. Built by the great Catholic architect J.A. Hansom, who, by the time of the commission, had already designed the 'Patent Safety Cab' or 'Hansom Cab' as it was later known, for the Jesuits from 1850 to 1854, the Church of Saint Walburge in Preston is a fine example of the Gothic revival style and features a daring and magnificent hammerbeam roof. The polygonal apse was added in 1873 by S.J. Nicholls. The 309-foot spire, dominating the Preston skyline, is the third tallest in the country, after Salisbury and Lincoln Cathedrals.
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