Places of Worship GAZ Workington

The medieval parish church of St Michael (the dedication is recorded in 12th century as being to St Mary), an early foundation to judge by the discovery of pre-Conquest sculpture.  Rebuilt 1770-2 and again 1887-90; reconstructed again after a fire in 1994.  On the coast at Chapel Hill (otherwise ‘How Michael’ or ‘St Michael’s Mount’) stood a chapel, called the ‘watch chapell’ in 1569 – it stood roofless in 1883, when it was known as the ‘Old Chapel’. 

With the growth of population, a second Anglican church, St John’s, Washington Street, was built at opposite end of the town from the parish church in 1821-3; its tower was rebuilt 1847.  St Mary’s church, Westfield, built 1889, was a chapel of ease to St John’s.  The town’s Protestant cemetery on Harrington Road was consecrated in 1879.

A Roman Catholic mission was established at Banklands in 1811 and Benedictine priory opened in 1813, with a chapel dedicated to St Michael.  Increasing immigration from Ireland led to the need for a larger building and the church of Our Lady Star of the Sea, was built adjacent to the priory in 1873-6.  The Catholic community were buried at Bank Cemetery.

A Presbyterian congregation was formed in the town in 1742; a chapel was built 1750; enlarged 1858 but replaced by a larger building on the same site in 1888.  An Independent (Congregational) chapel was built in William Street in 1780, enlarged in 1855 and rebuilt in 1884.

A Methodist chapel was built in Tiffin Lane in 1791 and replaced by a larger building in William Street in 1840.  After that building was burnt down in 1889, the Trinity Methodist Church was built on the same site in 1890.  The Primitive Methodist congregation was established in 1823 and built a chapel in 1827, which was replaced by a larger chapel in a Gothic style in 1882.  By 1900 there was also a United Free Methodist church in Victoria Road.

Other nonconformist places of worship by the end of the 19th century included the Baptist chapel, Harrington Road, built 1886, and a Salvation Army barracks in Edkin Street.  There were also several mission halls and the Christian Brethren held meetings in Dent Hall.  By 1938 there were also places of worship for the Plymouth Brethren and the Church of Christ.