St Edmunds Church Bolton set for demolition after 165 years

Subject to approval of the demolition method and utility disconnections, work is proposed to begin on October 4.

No decision has been made on the site’s future.

A spokesperson for The Diocese of Salford said: “St Edmunds Church was closed in light of health and safety concerns, and further investigation led us to conclude that it would not be viable to reopen the church, nor to restore use of the hall or presbytery.

If demolition goes ahead, the site will be levelled, covered with topsoil and seeded while the Diocese considers future options for the land. (Image: NQ)

“In 2024 we announced plans to demolish the buildings, taking into account the safety of local residents as well as the needs of parishioners in the area.

“This is the continuation of this previous announcement.”

The church originally stood at the heart of the community, but was closed in 2023.

It comes after the Diocese of Salford submitted plans to Bolton Council to bring down the buildings following their permanent closure.

St Edmund’s Church on St Edmund Street, together with its parish hall and presbytery, is included in a prior notification application lodged on July 23 2026.

St Edmund’s Church has stood on St Edmund Street since 1861 and is now set to be demolished after a planning notification was submitted to Bolton Council. (Image: NQ)

St Edmund’s was founded as a Roman Catholic mission to Bolton’s poor and growing Irish community, with its foundation stone laid by Bishop William Turner in August 1860 before opening the following year.

Built as a two-storey church with a school beneath, it became part of daily life for generations of mill workers and families living nearby.

More recently, it also became a place of worship for members of Bolton’s long-established Ukrainian community.

The parish was expanded over the years, absorbing St Patrick’s in 2003 before becoming the parish of St Edmund and St Patrick following the closure of St Peter and St Paul’s Church in 2010.

For more than 165 years, St Edmund’s has been part of Bolton’s changing story, serving generations of parishioners in the town centre. (Image: NQ)

The church closed temporarily in 2023 because of health and safety concerns before parishioners were told the following year it would not reopen after investigations found restoration was not viable.

The spokesman for the diocese added: “We recognise the distress that demolition of a church can cause to former parishioners and the Diocese of Salford remains committed to liaising with the local community regarding the future of the land.

“No formal decision on the future of the land have been made.”

St Edmund’s became home to generations of worshippers and, in more recent years, was also used by Bolton’s long established Ukrainian community. (Image: NQ)

Planning documents state the church, parish hall and presbytery would be demolished before the site is levelled, covered with topsoil and seeded.

The Diocese has said future development or disposal options will be considered after demolition has taken place.

For many, St Edmund’s was more than a church.

It was a familiar landmark woven into the story of the town, standing through changing industries, changing communities and changing generations.