St John the Evangelist's Church, Crawshawbooth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John the Evangelist's Church, Crawshawbooth |
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St John the Evangelist's Church, Crawshawbooth,
from the southwest |
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| OS grid reference | SD 810,252 |
| Location | Crawshawbooth, near Rawtenstall, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St John, Crawshawbooth |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint John the Evangelist |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Non-Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 7 June 1971 |
| Architect(s) | Paley, Austin and Paley |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1890 |
| Completed | 1892 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St John Crawshawbooth |
| Deanery | Rossendale |
| Archdeaconry | Bolton |
| Diocese | Manchester |
| Province | York |
St John the Evangelist's Church is a historic building located in the village of Crawshawbooth, close to Rawtenstall in Lancashire, England. It used to be a busy Anglican church, part of the Church of England. Today, it is a redundant building, which means it is no longer used for regular church services. This church is very important, so it is listed as a Grade II* listed building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is a particularly important building of more than special interest.
Contents
Building History
St John's Church was built between 1890 and 1892. It was designed by famous architects named Paley, Austin and Paley from Lancaster. The church was first expected to cost about £6,800. However, there were problems with the foundations, which are the parts of the building that sit underground. Because of these issues, the final cost, including all the inside parts, was closer to £12,000. This was a very large amount of money back then! The church was built to hold 616 people.
A local important person, Thomas Brooks, 1st Baron Crawshaw, who lived at Crawshaw Hall, gave money to help build the church and buy the land. Over time, fewer and fewer people attended the church. Also, parts of the lead roof were stolen. Because of these problems, the church leaders decided to declare the church "redundant." This happened on 20 February 2012.
Church Design
Outside the Church
The church is built from sandstone, a type of rock, with special Yorkshire stone details. Its roof is made of green Cumberland slate. The church is designed in a style called Perpendicular, which is a type of Gothic Revival style.
The church has a main hall called a nave and a special area for the altar called a chancel. These two parts are connected. On the sides, there are north and south aisles. There is also a south transept and a north transept, which are parts that stick out from the main building, making it look like a cross from above. A tall section with windows, called a clerestory, rises above the aisles.
To the south of the chancel is a small chapel, and to the north is a vestry, which is a room where priests get ready. There are two porches, one on the south side and another near the south transept. The clerestory has ten windows on each side, each with two lights. The large window at the west end of the church has five lights and fancy stone patterns called tracery. Along the aisles, you can see strong supports called buttresses and two-light windows. The south transept also has buttresses and a big five-light window with more tracery. The chancel has a large east window with six lights and Perpendicular tracery.
The church tower has diagonal corner buttresses that go up to round turrets. These turrets have decorative stone carvings called crockets and pointed tops called pinnacles. The very top of the tower has a decorative wall called an embattled parapet, which looks like the top of a castle wall.
Inside the Church
The inside walls of the church are covered with red Rainhill sandstone. The main hall has five arcades, which are rows of arches. These arches are supported by columns that are sometimes round and sometimes octagonal (eight-sided). The arch leading to the chancel is very tall and has two layers of decorative moulding.
There are beautiful carved wooden screens that separate the nave from the chancel. Some of the seats for the choir have very detailed carved canopies with statues. The reredos, which is a decorated screen behind the altar, was added in the 20th century. It has statues of the Four Evangelists, who are important figures in the Christian faith. The font, used for baptisms, is shaped like a hexagon. Inside the church, you can also find memorials dedicated to members of the Brooks family. Near the tower, there are carved texts from Psalm 148 from the Bible.
Future of the Church
As of 2020, St John's Church is on the English Heritage "Heritage at Risk Register." This means it is a historic building that is in danger of decay or damage. Its condition is described as "Very Bad."
The church was also listed on the Victorian Society's 2013 "Top 10 Endangered Buildings" List. This list highlights important buildings from the Victorian era that are at risk.
A local group called "Save St Johns" is working hard to find a new purpose for the church. They hope to use the building in a way that helps both local people and businesses in the community.
See also
- Listed buildings in Rawtenstall
- List of works by Paley, Austin and Paley
