St Bartholomew's Church, Colne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Bartholomew's, Colne |
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| OS grid reference | SD 8889540124 |
| Location | Church Street, Colne, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 29 January 1988 |
| Specifications | |
| Height | 62 feet (19 m) |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Pendle |
| Archdeaconry | Blackburn |
| Diocese | Blackburn |
| Province | York |
St Bartholomew's Church is an old and important church in the town of Colne, Lancashire, England. It is a Church of England church, which means it's a local church for the community. People have worshipped here for a very long time, possibly since the 12th century. The building you see today was mostly built in the 1500s. It's so special that it's officially protected as a Grade I listed building. This means it's considered a building of "exceptional interest," almost like a national treasure!
Contents
History of St Bartholomew's
There has been a church on this spot since at least the 1100s. Some people think it was started by a person named Robert de Lacy. Most of the church building we see now was built in the early 1500s. However, if you look closely at the north side of the main hall (called the nave), you can still find parts from the late 1100s or early 1200s.
The church was likely fixed up a lot in the 1500s. In 1590, a special bowl for baptisms, called a font, was given to the church by Lawrence Towneley. Later, in 1815, some repairs were made to the north side of the nave by an architect named Thomas Taylor.
The church had big renovations, called "restorations," in the late 1800s. These were done by famous architects like E. G. Paley and later Paley, Austin and Paley. During these updates, parts of the church were changed, new rooms were added, and new furniture like seats, choir stalls, a pulpit, and an altar were put in. In 1988, the church was officially given its Grade I listed status because of its amazing history and architecture.
Church Architecture and Design
Outside the Church
St Bartholomew's Church is built from stone and shows off a style called Perpendicular. This style was popular in England in the late Middle Ages and is known for its tall, straight lines and big windows.
The church has a main hall (the nave), with aisles (side sections) on both the south and north sides. There's also a special area for the altar (the chancel), and smaller chapels next to it. You'll also find rooms for the church staff (vestries) and a space for the organ. At the west end, there's a tall tower. On the south side, there's a porch where you enter.
The windows on the south side are straight at the top and have four arched sections. Higher up, the clerestory (a row of windows above the main part of the nave) has windows with three sections. The large window at the east end has five sections with beautiful stone patterns called tracery.
The church tower is about 62 feet (19 m) tall. It has strong, square supports called buttresses at its corners. The windows in the belfry (where the bells are) are pointed and have stone bars across them, with more tracery above. The top of the tower has a crenellated edge, which looks like the top of a castle wall. Below this, on the north and south sides, you can see gargoyles, which are carved stone figures that often act as water spouts.
The porch on the south side has a small carved space, or niche, in its pointed top (gable). Instead of a fancy decoration (finial), it has a sundial to tell the time using the sun. The entrance to the porch has a pointed arch with decorative edges. Inside, there are stone benches on either side.
Inside the Church
The main hall, the nave, is about 55 feet (17 m) long and 19 feet (5.8 m) wide. The rows of arches (called arcades) on the north and south sides each have four sections. The north side has round pillars (piers) with decorative bases and tops (capitals). The south side has eight-sided pillars, also with decorated bases and tops. On the north side, there are actually two aisles, one inside the other, separated by another row of arches.
The font is eight-sided, with curved sides. Each side has a shield carved into it. These shields show symbols related to the story of Jesus's suffering and death, and also the initials of Lawrence Towneley, who gave the font to the church. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is made of oak wood on a stone base.
The chancel, the area near the altar, is about 42 feet 9 inches (13.03 m) long and 20 feet 9 inches (6.32 m) wide. It connects to the north aisle with a narrow opening. The arches on the north and south sides of the chancel have eight-sided pillars and three pointed arches. There are two chapels, the Banastre chapel to the north and the Barnside chapel to the south, both separated from the aisles by wooden screens.
The tower holds a set of eight bells. Six of these bells were made in 1814 by Thomas Mears in London. The other two were given to the church in 1900 by Thomas Hyde of Colne.
Churchyard Features
Most of the churchyard, which is the area around the church, is located to the south. The oldest gravestone that still has a date on it is from 1606. You can also find a medieval stone cross to the south-east of the church building. It has a square base, topped with an eight-sided shaft and another eight-sided block. This cross is also a protected historical item, listed as Grade II.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Lancashire
- Grade I listed churches in Lancashire
- Listed buildings in Colne
- List of works by Thomas Taylor
- List of ecclesiastical works by E. G. Paley
- List of works by Paley, Austin and Paley
