St Paul’s, Scotforth: The Lancashire Church Built from Terracotta
When most people think of tiles in a church, they picture patterned floors and aisles, or maybe a colourful mosaic tucked near the altar. But at St Paul’s Church, Scotforth – one of Lancashire’s rare “Pot Churches” – the tile story plays out very differently – and much more unexpectedly. Rather than just decorating the building, at St Paul’s they are the building.
A Church Built From Clay
St Paul’s came from the mind of Edmund Sharpe, the Lancaster architect who thought, “What if we built a whole church out of terracotta?” At a time when Gothic Revival was fashionable, Sharpe deliberately went the other way, leaning into Romanesque curves and clay‑formed detailing when everyone else was carving stone.
Terracotta wasn’t just an aesthetic choice – it was a statement. It meant affordability, repeatability, craft, and…quietly…a bit of architectural rebellion. Having two aisles was to show a more Presbyterian approach, giving the church grandeur beyond its stature.
Sharpe’s design used terracotta to stretch a modest budget further, achieving intricate Romanesque detailing without the cost of stone carving. And it worked. The church still glows warm and earthy today because of that one bold decision.
Meet the Makers: Cliff & Son of Wortley
Although Sharpe had used other terracotta suppliers earlier in his career, the terracotta for St Paul’s came from Messrs. Cliff & Son of Wortley, near Leeds – craftsmen known for precision, repeatable mouldings and the kind of architectural ceramics that could stand outdoors for centuries. Their handiwork is everywhere you look; in the south porch arches, the crisp mouldings around windows, and most dramatically, the entire upper section of the saddleback tower – a piece of sculptural clay work you can see from across the neighbourhood.
Terracotta, Taking The Lead
Internally the terracotta story becomes even more surprising:
Terracotta Arcades: Instead of carved stone columns, you’re greeted by terracotta nave arcades, complete with round arches rising from square scalloped capitals. They’re warm in colour, tactile, and feel almost handcrafted – even though each piece came from a mould.
Doorways and Mouldings: The south porch offers one of the best close‑up moments with terracotta. Its receding semicircular arches show how well the material mimics the depth and shadow typically reserved for carved stone.
A Tower Built of Tiles: Look up, and Sharpe gives you perhaps his most daring flourish: a tower built of terracotta blocks and dressings. It’s uncommon, clever, and distinctly sculptural.
What About the Floor Tiles?
Interestingly, despite being a ‘tile church,’ St Paul’s doesn’t have much in the way of decorative Victorian floor tiles.
Historically, the chancel floor was replaced in 1932–33 by Henry Paley, but the material isn’t recorded in public heritage documents. Most interior areas are now carpeted, and no encaustic or mosaic floors are visible. From what the public record tells us, the beauty of St Paul’s tiles rises upward – in arches, mouldings, and facades – rather than lying underfoot.
Reflection
Rather than mere decorative afterthoughts – the tiles at St Paul’s define the whole character and identity of the church. They speak of Victorian experimentation, industrial craftsmanship, local religious identity, and Sharpe’s bold belief that terracotta could be as noble as stone. It is literally architecture made from mud, skill, and imagination. And it has lasted more than 150 years.
Having supported St Paul’s for the last decade, HPA Architects are now supporting them through grant funding as a result of the church being listed on the Heritage At Risk Register.
