St Francis of Assisi R.C Church – Hill Chapel, Goosnargh

St Francis of Assisi R.C Church, commonly known as Hill Chapel in Goosnargh, is a Grade II listed Roman Catholic Church originally built in 1755. In 2024, a major heritage and conservation project was undertaken to address long-standing structural issues and to preserve the integrity of this historically significant building for future generations.

A full structural restoration was commissioned by Dominic Roberts, Chief Architect at Roberts and Stone Architects (Preston), with principal works carried out by Austin Watson Ltd. The project addressed critical issues in the roof structure and ceiling, along with internal conservation works.

Key Works Included:

• Installation of a full internal birdcage scaffold to access ceiling areas

• Removal of hazardous AIB asbestos ceiling

• Recovery and replication of ornate cornice details

• Structural roof repairs, including truss realignment using bespoke rigging

• Replacement of poor-quality external slates with English Burlington slate

• New ceiling structure and re-plastering

• Discovery, cleaning, and preservation of hand-painted altar murals

• Full heritage-style redecoration and lighting upgrade

• Thermal improvements and new sound system installation

Once the structure was stabilised, attention turned to restoring the visual and spiritual beauty of the chapel interior. Painstaking decorative work was undertaken in March and April 2025, using historic paint references researched by Roberts and Stone Architects.

Specialists involved included:

• Adams Plaster Mouldings Ltd (Liverpool) – bespoke cornice work

• R.L. Lloyd and Son (Leyland) – interior decoration

• Rigby Electrical (Bolton) – lighting and AV systems

The project concluded in May 2025 with a special ‘Topping Off’ ceremony attended by parish representatives, project teams, and contractors. A reading from parish members expressed heartfelt appreciation for the skill, care, and dedication of everyone involved.

On behalf of our Parish Priest, Fr. Sony Joseph and the parishioners of Hill Chapel, I thank you and your team most sincerely for all the splendid work you have undertaken to not only structurally repair and bring our historic church back to its full glory but to also preserve and retain many of the features that we were in danger of losing.

Your company has always acted in a very professional yet friendly manner and your team of builders and joiners have used their remarkable skills to produce the highest quality of work. The structural woodwork in the roof, the new corniche and fabulous ceiling, which has been enhanced by the state of art lighting, are a credit to those who have created them. By using the best quality English slates, the roof which was so unstable is now perfect and will serve future generations of parishioners for many years to come. I have been extremely impressed by the fact that a member of your team, or a sub-contractor employed by you, has been on site every day of this seven months project. We have not been left to wait whilst other jobs were dealt with, which can often be the case with other contractors. Congratulations, your company has done a marvellous job to save and improve our precious church.

We would have no hesitation in recommending your company to any prospective clients and would be most happy for you to visit the church to allow others to observe the quality of the work that you have produced if you feel it would be helpful.

Many thanks, once again Luke, we couldn’t have employed a better company to restore and improve our historic building.

With very best wishes,

Mike Bryan
M Bryan J.P. Chair Parish Property Group