St Cuthbert's Church, Over Kellet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Cuthbert's Church, Over Kellet
St Cuthbert's Church, Over Kellet, from the north
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
OS grid reference	SD 523,696
Location	Over Kellet, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Cuthbert, Over Kellet
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Cuthbert
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	4 October 1967
Architect(s)	E. G. Paley, Austin and Paley (restorations)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic, Gothic Revival
Specifications
Materials	Pebbledashed rubble with sandstone dressings Slate roofs
Administration
Parish	Over Kellet
Deanery	Tunstall
Archdeaconry	Lancaster
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York

St Cuthbert's Church is a historic church located in the village of Over Kellet, Lancashire, England. It is a working Anglican church, meaning it's part of the Church of England. The church is a very important building, listed as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's considered a particularly important building of more than special interest.

A Look Back: Church History

The oldest parts of St Cuthbert's Church were built around the year 1200. However, most of what you see today was built much later, in the 1500s. The church has been updated several times over the years.

Restorations and Changes

In 1863–64, a famous architect named E. G. Paley from Lancaster helped restore the church. During this work, the old ceiling was taken out. They also put back the arch leading to the chancel (the area around the altar). The east end of the church was rebuilt, and more seats were added for people attending services.

Later, in 1909, Paley's company, now called Austin and Paley, did more work. They rebuilt the eastern part of the church again. They also added dormers, which are windows that stick out from a sloping roof.

Church Design and Features

St Cuthbert's Church is built with rough, pebbledashed stones and has sandstone details. The roofs are made of slate. The church's style is mostly late Perpendicular Gothic, which is a type of Gothic design.

Outside the Church

The church has a main area called the nave with four sections. There's a porch on the north side. It also has north and south aisles (passageways) and a chancel at the east end. At the west end, there's a tower. A small room called a vestry is located between the tower and the north aisle.

The tower has strong corner supports called buttresses. The top of the tower has a battlemented parapet, which looks like the top of a castle wall. The tower has a doorway on the west side, which is now closed off. It also has a large window above it and bell openings on all sides. The windows along the aisles let light into the church.

Inside the Church

Inside, the arcades (rows of arches) are supported by eight-sided pillars. The nave and aisles have traditional box pews, which are like enclosed seating areas.

At the west end of the south aisle, you can see the Royal arms of King George III. This is a symbol of the British monarchy.

The church has two fonts, which are basins used for baptisms. One in the north aisle is round and made of gritstone. Another font in the south aisle is from the 1800s. You can also find memorials inside the church from the 1700s and 1800s. The beautiful stained glass in the east window was put in place in 1868.

Churchyard Features

The churchyard, the area around the church, is also a special place. It contains war graves for two brave individuals. One was a soldier from World War I, and the other was a Royal Air Force officer from World War II.

More to Explore

• Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
• Listed buildings in Over Kellet
• List of ecclesiastical works by E. G. Paley
• List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1895–1914)