Rivington Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rivington Church
Rivington Church
Rivington Church Location in the Borough of Chorley
53°37′31″N 2°34′06″W / 53.6252°N 2.5684°W / 53.6252; -2.5684
Location	Rivington, Lancashire, England
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Rivington Parish Church
History
Founded	1566 (1566)
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II Listed building
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone
Administration
Parish	Rivington
Deanery	Deane
Archdeaconry	Bolton
Diocese	Diocese of Manchester

Rivington Church is an active Anglican parish church located in Rivington, Lancashire, England. It is part of the Diocese of Manchester. The church is a special building that has been officially recognized as a Grade II listed building. This means it's an important historical place. The church doesn't have a specific saint's name. While it has been called different names like St Lawrence or Holy Trinity, its correct title is Rivington Church.

The Church's Story

Records from 1280 mention church land in Rivington. This land was near the Horwich border. A very old Saxon baptismal font was found nearby. It is now kept in the church's Millennium Room. The church also has a round graveyard. This shape, along with the Saxon font, might mean the church was founded before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The arched windows on the south side are cut from solid stone, which is also a Saxon style.

In 1536, when common lands were divided, the priest received 30 acres (about 12 hectares) of land. In 1541, the chapel and its yard were officially blessed. This was done by Doctor Bird, the Bishop of Chester. Local villagers said they had worshipped at this spot for many generations.

In 1566, Queen Elizabeth I helped Bishop Pilkington. She allowed a free grammar school to be built. She also gave permission for the church to have a minister. This meant people from Rivington and nearby areas could have baptisms, marriages, and burials there. Before this, they had to travel to other parishes.

In 1662, Reverend Samuel Newton was removed from the church. Many people who followed his Puritan beliefs also left. They became Presbyterian, which led to the start of Rivington Unitarian Chapel.

The church mostly looks as it did after being rebuilt in 1666. Some changes and repairs were made in the late 1800s. In 1861, a big restoration cost £500. This included adding a porch, new floor tiles, and raising the altar. They also replaced the old box pews and put in a small organ.

Rivington became its own parish, separate from Bolton le Moors. In 1856, the people of the parish gained a special right. They could choose their own minister, which was rare for churches at that time. In 2014, an extension was added to the west end of the church. This new part includes a reception area, a toilet, and a kitchen.

What Rivington Church Looks Like

Outside the Church

The bellhouse at Rivington Church

The church is built from sandstone blocks of different sizes. It has large corner stones called quoins, some as long as five feet. The roof is made of slate. It's a small, simple building with three windows on each side. The main part of the church, called the nave, is about 55 feet long and 27 feet wide. The chancel, which is the area near the altar, is smaller.

The gabled porch is on the south side. A modern room, called a vestry, is on the north side. The entrance was moved and changed into a porch in the 1800s. The west wall has a doorway with a rounded top. The bell turret on the roof is eight-sided. It has a square base and a pointed roof with a weather vane. The roof has green slates and overhangs slightly.

The nave has square windows with three sections on the north side. On the south side, the windows have rounded tops. There's a door on each side and another at the west end. The chancel has three rounded windows on each side. The east window has five sections.

The Graveyard

The oldest gravestone in the churchyard is from 1616. Some gravestones that are now flat on the ground used to be raised with stone sides. Other flat slabs once had iron railings around them. These railings were removed during World War II to help with the war effort. The churchyard also has three graves for British Army soldiers who died in World War I and World War II.

Near the entrance, you can find special stones. One is the 'Anderton Stone'. It shows shack bolts from the Anderton coat of arms. It also has a figure of Jesus on the cross with 'INRI'. People believe it came from Anderton Hall chapel. Above it, there's a carving of a Sator Square. This is a puzzle-like phrase that reads "SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS". It might be even older than Christianity.

Inside the Church

The roof inside has four main wooden supports. The church has a beautiful oak screen from the late Middle Ages. There's also an octagonal oak pulpit from the late 1500s. Both the screen and the pulpit are thought to be older than the current church building.

On the north wall, there's a painting of the Pilkington family tree. It was copied in 1835 from an older painting that was damaged by fire. You can also see an 18th-century brass chandelier. It has a fluted body and two levels of arms for candles. The oldest memorial inside the church is from 1627.

The church has a pipe organ built by Lewis & Co in 1884. It was serviced and repaired in 1927 by Jardine and Co.

War Memorial

The war memorial inside the church honors those who died in wars. It reads: 'To the Glory of God And in Memory of the Men who fell in the Great War 1914.1919'

1939-1945

The Belltower

The belltower is a separate building in the churchyard. It is also a Grade II Listed building. It's a small, square, one-story building with a basement. It's made of sandstone and has stone steps outside. It was built to hold a large bell bought from All Saints' Church, Wigan in 1542. However, the bell was sold around 1551. This detached bellhouse is the only one of its kind in Lancashire. It used to be a charnel house, a place where bones were stored. Today, it is used as a tool shed by the church's caretaker.