Church of St John the Baptist

CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, MARKET STREET

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Explore this list entry

Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1068475
Date first listed:
15-Jul-1966
List Entry Name:
Church of St John the Baptist
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, MARKET STREET
User submitted image
Contributed by Phil Platt This photo may not represent the current condition of the site. Over 400,000 images and stories have been added to the Missing Pieces Project so far. Share your story.
View all

Location

Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places. 

There is a problem

Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.

What is the National Heritage List for England?

The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.

The list includes:

Icon Buildings
Icon Scheduled monuments
Icon Parks and gardens
Icon Battlefields
Icon Shipwrecks

Find out more about listing

Images of England Project

To view this image please use Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Edge.
Archive image, may not represent current condition of site.
Date:
2001-03-14
Reference:
IOE01/03168/34
Rights:
© Mr David H Swain. Source: Historic England Archive

Local Heritage Hub

Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.

Discover more

Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1068475
Date first listed:
15-Jul-1966
Date of most recent amendment:
27-Jul-1987
List Entry Name:
Church of St John the Baptist
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, MARKET STREET

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, MARKET STREET

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
Wigan (Metropolitan Authority)
Parish:
Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:
SD 67595 03138

Details

ATHERTON MARKET STREET SD 60 SE (north side) 2/8 Church of St John the Baptist (formerly listed as church of 15/7/66 St John Market Place) G.V. II Church. 1879. By Paley and Austin. Dressed stone, ashlar dressings and clay tile roof. Nave, clerestory and aisles with south-west tower; chancel flanked by side chapel and 2- storey vestry. Gothic Revival in Decorated style. 5-bay nave and 2-bay chancel all under a continuous roof. The aisles have weathered buttresses, 4-light windows with Decorated tracery and hoodmoulds on the south and 3-light flat-headed windows on the north. Square clerestory lights. The chancel has a 6-light transomed window above fleuron motifs in a chequered panel. The buttress to its right includes an enriched statue niche. 2-storey organ chamber and vestry with octagonal corner turret. 7-light west window. Coped gables and eaves parapet. The monumental 4- stage castellated tower stands outside the south aisle. It has octagonal piers at each corner which rise as conically roofed pinnacles, a 4-light window above the door, clock faces on the third stage and 3-light belfry openings below a statue in canopied niche. Interior: clustered columns with moulded capitals and bases support a double-chamfered nave arcade. The whole is faced in ashlar. Hammer-beam roof trusses. Sedilia and piscina. Timberwork includes stalls, pews, organ casing and intricately carved choir screen. Alabaster font and stone pulpit. Stained glass; east window Kempe, 1896. An imposing building which exhibits fine craftsmanship both inside and out.

Listing NGR: SD6759503138

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
213476
Legacy System:
LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Church of St John the Baptist

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 09-Jun-2026 at 11:18:43.

Download a full scale map (PDF)
© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

Previous Overview
Next Comments and Photos