St George's Church, Barrow-in-Furness facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St. George's Church
St. George's Church, viewed from the west
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OS grid reference	SD 203,688
Location	St George's Square, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	South Barrow Team Ministry
History
Status	Parish church
Founder(s)	Duke of Buccleuch, Duke of Devonshire
Dedication	Saint George
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	6 May 1976
Architect(s)	E. G. Paley, Paley and Austin
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1859
Completed	1883
Specifications
Materials	Slate with sandstone dressings Slate roofs
Administration
Parish	St. George with St Luke Barrow-in-Furness
Deanery	Barrow
Archdeaconry	Westmorland and Furness
Diocese	Carlisle
Province	York

St. George's Church is located in St George's Square, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is the oldest active Anglican parish church in the town. A parish church is a church that serves a specific local area.

This church is part of the diocese of Carlisle. It is also a "Grade II listed building". This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.

History of St. George's Church

St. George's Church was built between 1859 and 1861. The design was created by E. G. Paley, an architect from Lancaster.

The church was supported by the Duke of Buccleuch and the Duke of Devonshire. They helped pay for its construction.

Why the Church Was Built

Sir James Ramsden suggested building St. George's Church. He wanted it to be the main church for the growing town of Barrow-in-Furness. However, as the town grew, especially after the railway station moved in 1882, the church ended up on the edge of town.

Changes and Additions Over Time

In 1867, a north aisle was added by Paley. An aisle is a side section of a church. This addition made space for almost 1,000 people.

Later, in 1883, the Ramsden Chapel was built. The chancel (the area around the altar) was also made bigger and taller. This work was done by the company Paley and Austin. The Ramsden Chapel included seating for important town events.

During the Second World War, the beautiful stained glass in the east window was destroyed. In 1982, the north aisle was separated from the rest of the church. Most of its furniture was removed. Since then, this part of the church has been used as a church hall.

Architecture and Design

St. George's Church is built from slate with red sandstone details. The roofs are also made of slate. The slate came from the Duke of Devonshire's quarries, and the sandstone came from St Bees.

Outside the Church

The church has a nave (the main part of the church) with north and south aisles. It also has porches on the south and west sides. There is a chancel with a chapel to the south, and an organ room and a vestry (a room for clergy) to the north.

A tower stands at the west end of the south aisle. This tower has three levels and a small, eight-sided stair turret at one corner. The top of the tower has a battlement design, like a castle wall. The windows feature Geometric patterns in their stone frames.

Inside the Church

Inside, the main arcades (rows of arches) are supported by alternating octagonal (eight-sided) and circular piers (large columns). The tops of these piers, called capitals, are carved with leaf designs.

The stained glass in the east window was created in 1951 by A. F. Erridge. Other stained glass in the church was made by Hardman and by Shrigley and Hunt. The church once had a large organ built in 1881, but it was replaced with an electronic organ in the 1980s.

See also

• List of ecclesiastical works by E. G. Paley
• List of ecclesiastical works by Paley and Austin
• List of places of worship in Barrow-in-Furness
• Listed buildings in Barrow-in-Furness