St John's Church, Lytham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St John's Church
St John's Church, Lytham, from the south, also showing the lych gate
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OS grid reference	SD 371 272
Location	East Beach, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St John the Divine, Lytham
History
Status	Parish church
Consecrated	11 September 1850
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	13 January 1971
Architect(s)	E. H. Shellard
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1848
Completed	1857
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone, slate roofs
Administration
Parish	St John, Lytham
Deanery	Kirkham
Archdeaconry	Lancaster
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York

St John's Church is located in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, meaning it's a local church for a specific area. The church is very important historically. It is listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a particularly special building.

History of St John's Church

The church was designed by an architect named E. H. Shellard. Building work started in 1848 and finished in 1849. The land for the church was a gift from the Clifton family, who lived at Lytham Hall. Many people donated money to help pay for the church's construction.

The church was officially opened and blessed on September 11, 1850. At first, it was a "mission church" connected to St Cuthbert's Church, Lytham. This means it was a smaller church helping a larger, older one. In 1870, St John's became its own parish church. Shellard also designed additions to the church in 1856–57. These included extensions to the transepts (the arms of the cross-shaped church) and the chancel (the area near the altar).

In 1897, a special gate called a lych gate was built. It was put up to remember Revd T. G. Smart, who was the vicar (a type of priest) of the church. He had passed away the year before. Around 1920, a chapel on the southeast side of the church was changed. It became a war memorial chapel, designed by Frank Mee, to honor those who served in wars.

Architecture and Design

Outside the Church

St John's Church is built from sandstone blocks. Its roofs are made of Cumberland slate. The church is designed in the Early English Gothic style, which was popular a long time ago. The church has a long, narrow main area called a nave. It also has wide sections on either side called aisles. There are parts that stick out like arms, known as transepts, and a special area at the end called the chancel. The chancel has a small chapel and a room for the clergy (church leaders).

On the south side, there's a tall, four-part tower. It has a doorway at the bottom. Higher up, there are narrow windows called lancet windows. The top part has openings with louvers for the bells. On top of the tower is a pointed roof called a broach spire. This spire has two levels of small windows called lucarnes. Along the sides of the aisles, you can see supports called buttresses and pairs of lancet windows. The upper part of the nave, called the clerestory, has small triple lancet windows. The west wall of the nave has two tall lancet windows. Each transept has three very narrow lancet windows with a round window above them. The main east window has three stepped lancet windows.

Inside the Church

Inside, the church has six bay arcades. These are rows of arches supported by short, round pillars called piers. The seats, called pews, used to be box pews, but their doors have been removed. The war memorial chapel has a special screen designed by Ernest Flower. The memorial itself is a stone archway, carved by J. Stother.

The stained glass windows in the south aisle were made in 1911. They show different saints from Northern England. This artwork was created by Geoffrey Webb. The glass in the war memorial window was designed by B. D. Walmsley.

The church has a large pipe organ with two keyboards, called manuals. We don't know who built it originally. However, it has been worked on by different companies over the years. These include Conacher of Huddersfield in 1874 and 1888, and Hele of Plymouth in 1950. The church also has a ring of six bells. All these bells were made in 1875 by Mears and Stainbank. They were cast at the famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry.

Churchyard Features

The stone wall that runs along the south side of the churchyard is also a listed building. It is about 1 meter (3 feet) high and has a special base. The wall is decorated with panels that have rows of small pebbles. The lych gate is located across from the church's south door. It is made of timber on stone pillars. Its roof is covered with fish-scale shaped slates and decorative terracotta tiles. It also has wooden decorations called finials.

Why St John's Church is Special

St John's Church was officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building on January 13, 1971. In England, buildings are given three grades of importance. Grade II* is the middle grade. It means the building is "particularly important" and has "more than special interest." Experts believe that St John's Church is one of architect E. H. Shellard's best works. In a famous book series about English buildings, experts Hartwell and Pevsner wrote that "the interior shows Shellard at his best." This means they thought the inside of the church was especially well-designed.

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
• Listed buildings in Lytham