St Andrew's Church, Blackburn facts for kids
St Andrew's Church is a special building located in Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, England. It was once an Anglican church, which means it was a place of worship for the Church of England.
The church was designed by a famous architect named Edward Graham Paley, who was from Lancaster. The first stone for the church was put in place in December 1866. However, it took a long time to build, and the church was not officially ready for services until 1877. When it was first built, St Andrew's Church could hold 652 people. It cost about £6,000 at that time.
The Church's Design
St Andrew's Church has a unique shape, like a cross, which is called a cruciform plan. It has a main hall called a nave, and two side sections known as transepts (one to the north and one to the south). There is also a chancel, which is the area near the altar, with a rounded end called a polygonal apse.
The church also has a tower that was never fully finished. It stands between the south transept and the chancel. All around the church, you can see tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. The transepts have beautiful round windows known as rose windows. The windows at the front and back of the church have fancy stone patterns called Geometrical tracery. Inside, some of the colorful stained glass windows in the chancel were made by a company called Clayton and Bell around 1890.
From Church to Care Home
St Andrew's Church stopped being used as a church on August 6, 2008. After that, people started making plans for it to be used for other things in the community. By August 13, 2009, it was approved to be used for civic, cultural, or community purposes.
In 2010, there were plans to turn the old church into a care home for older people, with 35 rooms. By 2014, the building was being changed into a care home. Today, it is known as Andrews Court Care Home. While the outside of the building still looks mostly the same, some changes have been made. For example, the top parts of the doorways have been made lower to add more windows on the upper floor.
