St. Anthony of Egypt, Liverpool

Introduction

Saint Anthony of Egypt in Liverpool was built in 1833 and designed by John Broadbent. The parish originated in 1804 and the present church was opened in 1833. St Anthony's emerged as the principal Irish church in Liverpool during large-scale Irish immigration.

History

The parish owes much to the French emigré priest Reverend Jean Baptiste Antoinet Gerardot, who fled the French Revolution of 1789. Gerardot died in 1826, and by the late 1820s a larger church was needed. John Broadbent, a pupil of Thomas Rickman, designed the church built in 1833. St Anthony's is one of three churches forming the parish of St Sylvester, founded on 1 January 2012.

Architecture and furnishings

The church has ashlar facing to the west facade, returns of stucco with stone dressings, and a slate roof. The nave of 7 bays has a 3-bay west facade with a central projecting bay serving as porch with organ loft above. The interior has a wide nave with coffered ceiling and a deep west gallery with segmental arched organ recess. The chancel arch has a 4-centred arch on 3 orders, and chapel arches have pointed arches on 3 orders, all with ribbed vaults and elaborate architectural reredoses.

The church has a pierced altar rail and an octagonal pulpit. The west facade of the church features chamfered clasping buttresses that end in pinnacles. The west facade displays single lancets at ground floor level, paired lancets above, and central stepped triple lancets. The east end has stepped triple lancets to the chancel and pinnacles.

The returns have paired lancets between buttresses. The church has a plain pointed-arched entrance.

The church has a commanding presence on Scotland Road, and James Picton acknowledged that 'the building is imposing from its size and proportions'. Broadbent built a simple if not severe church with Early English buttresses and lancet windows and a surprisingly large interior.

Visiting

The church is within Pastoral Area 1 (Liverpool North). A Pastoral Area Working Group has been brought together to coordinate the area. The St Anthony's Heritage Centre is open for visits and offers access to its database.