St James' Church, Church Kirk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St James' Church, Church Kirk
St James' Church from the southwest
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OS grid reference	SD 741 291
Location	St James' Road, Church, Hyndburn, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St James, Church Kirk
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	9 March 1984
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic, Georgian, Gothic Revival
Completed	1896
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone, slate roof
Administration
Parish	Church (or Church Kirk)
Deanery	Accrington
Archdeaconry	Blackburn
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York

St James' Church is an old church building located in St James' Road, Church, Hyndburn, Lancashire, England. It used to be a busy Anglican parish church where people worshipped. The church closed its doors in November 2015. This historic building is very important and is officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a special place with a lot of history.

A Look Back: Church History

A church has stood on this spot for a very long time, since the year 642 AD. This place is connected to Saint Oswald, an old king. He camped here on his way to a battle in Cheshire.

• The church's tall tower was built a long time ago, during the medieval period.
• The main part of the church, called the nave, was built much later, between 1804 and 1805.
• In 1844, a decorative wall, known as a parapet, was added to the top of the tower.
• The chancel, which is the area around the altar, was built in 1895–96.
• At the same time, new stone patterns, called tracery, were put into the nave windows.
• In 1918, the beautiful stained glass windows on the south side of the nave were replaced. This happened after they were damaged by an explosion at a nearby ammunition factory.
• Later, in 1983, the tower of the church was damaged by a fire.

What the Church Looks Like

The church is built from sandstone and has roofs made of slate. The stones in the main part of the church are neatly arranged. However, the stones in the tower are rougher and not as smooth.

Outside the Church

The church has a main area called the nave with five sections. It also has a chancel with three sections and a tower at the west end.

• The tower is supported by strong buttresses, which are like stone supports.
• It has a low, rectangular door on the west side.
• Above this door is a window with three lights, designed in a style called Perpendicular.
• There are openings for bells on three sides of the tower.
• A clock is on the fourth side.
• The top of the tower has a parapet that looks like the top of a castle wall.
• The nave has two levels, with two rows of windows along its sides.
• These windows are rounded at the top, in a Georgian style.
• They also have decorative stone patterns from the Victorian period.
• The chancel windows are arched and also have tracery.

Inside the Church

Inside, there are balconies, called galleries, on three sides. These galleries are held up by eight-sided cast iron columns. These columns have decorative grooves, called fluting, and round designs at the top.

• At the west end of the church, there are two staircases leading up.
• The ceiling inside the church is flat.
• The reredos, which is a decorative screen behind the altar, was made in 1909. It was created using a special technique called opus sectile.
• The font, used for baptisms, is also in the Perpendicular style.
• On the south wall of the nave, there are two sets of stained glass windows. These windows show the Four Evangelists, who wrote parts of the Bible.
• These windows were remade in 1918 by Morris & Co. after being damaged in the 1917 explosion. They used the original designs by Edward Burne-Jones.
• More windows, made in 1927 by B. D. Walmsley, are on the south side of the chancel.
• The church once had eight bells, all made between 1865 and 1867. These bells were later taken out and moved to other churches. Some parts of the bell frame were used at St Cuthbert's Church, Over Kellet, and one bell was re-hung at Church of St Andrew, Compton Dundon in Somerset.

See Also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
• Listed buildings in Church, Lancashire