St John's Church, Great Harwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John's Church |
|
|---|---|
St John's Church, Great Harwood, from the northeast
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Location | St Hubert's Road, Great Harwood, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Former parish church |
| Consecrated | 1 October 1912 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Austin and Paley |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 27 May 1911 |
| Completed | 1912 |
| Closed | 1 March 2006 |
| Demolished | 2009 |
St John's Church was a building for Christian worship in Great Harwood, Lancashire, England. It belonged to the Anglican Church. This church was once a parish church, meaning it served a specific local area. Later, its community joined with another local church, St Bartholomew's.
Contents
The Church's Story
St John's Church started small in 1881. It began as a "mission church" in a place called Old Butts Chapel. A mission church is like a smaller, temporary church set up to serve a growing community.
Building a New Church
In 1898, a new church building was constructed. By 1908, St John's became its own separate parish. This meant it had its own priest and community. People decided they needed an even bigger and better church.
The first stone for this new church was laid on 27 May 1911. It was designed by famous architects named Austin and Paley from Lancaster. The new church was officially opened and blessed on 1 October 1912. This ceremony was led by Bishop Edmund Knox.
Changes Over Time
There were plans to build a tall tower at the west end of the church. However, when money was finally raised for it in the 1950s, builders found the ground wasn't strong enough. Instead of a tower, a new entrance porch was built on the northwest side. This new porch opened in 1961.
Sadly, St John's Church was closed on 1 March 2006. It was then taken down in 2009. A special decorated screen from behind the altar, called a reredos, was moved to another church, St Margaret's Church in Oldham.
What the Church Looked Like
The church was built from stone. Its design style was called late Perpendicular Gothic. This is a type of Gothic Revival style. It means it looked like churches built many centuries ago in England.
Experts who wrote about buildings described St John's as "handsome and assured." They also said it had a "good if sober interior." This means it looked strong and well-designed from the outside, and the inside was nice, even if it wasn't overly fancy.
See also
- List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1895–1914)
