St Andrew's Church, Slaidburn facts for kids
St Andrew's Church is a beautiful old church located on Church Street in Slaidburn, Lancashire, England. It's an active Anglican church, which means it's part of the Church of England. It serves the local community as a parish church. St Andrew's is very special because it's listed as a Grade I building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a really important historical building. People especially admire its amazing old wooden features inside.
Quick facts for kids St Andrew's Church |
|
|---|---|
Viewed from the southwest
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| OS grid reference | SD 710 521 |
| Location | Church Street, Slaidburn, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Central |
| Website | St Andrew, Slaidburn |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Andrew |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 16 November 1954 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, stone slate roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Slaidburn |
| Deanery | Bowland |
| Archdeaconry | Craven |
| Diocese | Leeds |
| Province | York |
Contents
A Look Back in Time
St Andrew's Church is very old, first built in the 1400s (that's the 15th century!). Over the years, some changes were made, especially in the 1600s. The wall at the east end of the church was rebuilt in 1866.
What the Church Looks Like
The church is built from sandstone, which is a type of rock. Its roofs are made of stone slates. The church has a main area called the nave and a special area for the altar called the chancel. These two parts are under one continuous roof. There are also side sections called north and south aisles. A small porch is on the south side, and a tall tower stands at the west end.
The West Tower
The tower has five different levels. It has a main entrance door on the west side. Above this door is a window with three sections. Higher up, there are two small carved spaces called niches, one above the other. A single window is placed between these niches. The openings where the bells are located have two sections each. The very top of the tower, called the parapet, is plain.
Inside the Church
Inside, the church has rows of arches called arcades. There's a five-arch arcade on the south side and a six-arch arcade on the north side. These arches rest on eight-sided pillars. In the south aisle, there's a special basin called a piscina, which was used for washing sacred vessels.
The wooden benches, called pews, are very old, from the 1600s and 1700s. Some of them are box pews, which are like small enclosed rooms. The tall pulpit, where the priest gives sermons, is from the 1700s. It even has a "sounding board" above it to help the sound carry.
There's also a beautiful rood screen, which is a carved partition, from the 1630s or later. Another screen is found in the south aisle. The church has a large pipe organ with two keyboards, built around 1870.
The Church Bells
St Andrew's has a set of six bells. All of them were made at the famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London. Five of the bells were cast in 1843. The sixth bell was made later, in 1927.
Outside the Church
In the churchyard, you can find an old sandstone cross. It probably dates back to the 1500s, and the top part has carvings. This cross is also a listed building, though at Grade II, meaning it's historically important. The churchyard is also the resting place for a soldier from World War I. He was part of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. His grave is cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
More to Explore
- Grade I listed churches in Lancashire
- Listed buildings in Slaidburn
