Old St Ann's Church, Warrington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Ann's (old) Church, Warrington |
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Southeast aspect of St Ann's Church, Warrington
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| 53°23′48″N 2°35′41″W / 53.39670°N 2.59475°W | |
| OS grid reference | SJ 606 890 |
| Location | Warrington, Cheshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 27 February 1869 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 24 October 1974 |
| Architect(s) | John Douglas |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1866 |
| Closed | 1966 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red brick with blue brick dressings Slate roof |
St Ann's Church is a historic Anglican church located in Warrington, Cheshire, England. It's no longer used for regular church services. This special building is officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building, meaning it's very important and protected.
The church stopped being used for worship in November 1995. Since 1996, it has been transformed into an exciting indoor climbing center. For a while, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, the church even got its heat from steam. This steam came from the Tetley Walker's brewery, which used to be right next door. A new church, also named St Ann's, was built in 2000 about half a mile away.
Contents
History of St Ann's Church
The construction of St Ann's Church began in 1866. It was designed by a famous architect named John Douglas. Building the church took longer than expected because of bad weather.
Finally, a local lawyer named William Beamont helped pay the builder. This allowed the church to be officially opened and blessed on February 27, 1869. In 1996, the church found a new purpose. It was turned into a climbing center, with a new floor added in the chancel area. These changes were made so they could be removed later if needed.
Architectural Style and Features
St Ann's Church is built using red bricks. It also has special blue bricks used for decoration. The roof is made of slate. The church's design includes a main hall called a nave with six sections, but no side aisles.
It also has a rounded end called an apsidal chancel. There are porches on the north and south sides, and a room for the clergy called a vestry on the north. A tower stands on the southeast side, between the nave and the chancel.
The Church Tower
The tower has three levels. The bottom level has a single, narrow window called a lancet window. The second level has three similar windows. The top level features pairs of openings with louvred slats, where the bells would have been. Above these openings is a decorative corbelled parapet.
On the southwest corner of the tower, there's a small stair-turret. This turret goes all the way up to the top of the tower. It has a tall, cone-shaped roof that rises even higher than the main tower. The very top of the tower has a tall, steeply sloped saddleback roof.
Interior Art and Design
Inside the church, in the sanctuary area, there are paintings of The Evangelists. These artworks were created by Westlake in 1868. They were later repainted by T. Hesketh in 1894. Currently, these paintings are hidden from view.
Experts have praised the church's design. Edward Hubbard called its architecture "quite startlingly bold and original." The Buildings of England series described it as "an impressively forceful High Victorian work..., bold and uncompromising." They also found the mix of climbing walls and 19th-century architecture "strangely enjoyable."
See also
- Grade I and II* listed buildings in Warrington
- List of new churches by John Douglas
