St Ignatius Square Conservation Area

Summary of Special Interest

The special character of St. Ignatius Square Conservation Area, which is desirable to preserve or enhance, derives from the following elements:

• An early example of a formal square with the church in the centre bordered by housing.
• The majority of buildings within the boundary date from the mid-19th century and are designated heritage assets, recognised for their architectural and historic merit.
• St. Ignatius Church is a Grade II* designated heritage asset. It is a prominent landmark building visible from a major thoroughfare into Preston, the A59, and has been awarded status as a Cathedral for the eastern denomination of the Kerala Catholic Church.
• The Church was designed by the notable London architect Joseph John Scoles, who is attributed to designing many Roman Catholic Churches including the former St. Augustine's Church in Preston.
• St. Ignatius Church and the associated school are an early example of the provision of mass education by the Roman Catholic Church.
• The conservation area is situated in a very densely built up location comprising a mix of architectural styles but it has a very distinctive and traditional character that has largely been lost in this part of Preston.
• The conservation area is quiet and unspoilt by the pressures of vehicular traffic.
• Early part of the residential expansion of Preston beyond its mediaeval boundaries 
  in the early 19th Century
• A surviving early example, copied elsewhere in Preston, of a formal square with the church in the centre flanked by house.
• Example of the provision of mass education by the Roman Catholic Church.
• An early example of the re-establishment of the Roman Catholic Church in England, following the various Relief and Emancipation Acts (1778 - 1829), through inward missionary from Ireland and Belgium

Designated: 1982. Extended 2007

Area: 1.67 Hectares

Article 4 Direction in Place: Yes

St Ignatius Square Conservation area Article 4 (PDF) [2MB] can be downloaded here.

Conservation area appraisal

Section 69 (2) of the Act imposes a duty on local authorities to review their conservation areas from time to time and Section 71 requires local authorities to formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of conservation areas.

St Ignatius Square Conservation area appraisal (PDF) [3MB]  was updated in December 2016.

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