St John the Evangelist's Church, Worsthorne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St John the Evangelist Church, Worsthorne
St John the Evangelist's Church, Worsthorne, from the west
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OS grid reference	SD 876,324
Location	Church Square, Worsthorne, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Central
Website	St John the Evangelist, Worsthorne
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	John the Evangelist
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	17 December 1968
Architect(s)	Lewis Vulliamy W. B. Colbram Austin and Paley
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival (Early English)
Groundbreaking	1834
Completed	1902
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone, slate roofs
Administration
Parish	St John the Evangelist, Worsthorne
Deanery	Burnley
Archdeaconry	Burnley
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York

St John the Evangelist Church is a special building located in Church Square in the village of Worsthorne, Lancashire, England. It's an active Anglican church, which means it's part of the Church of England. It serves as a parish church for the local community. This church is also recognized as a Grade II listed building, meaning it's an important historical and architectural site that needs to be protected.

The Church's Story: How It Was Built

The church was first built between 1834 and 1835. It was designed by an architect named Lewis Vulliamy. Later, in 1894, a part of the church called the chancel was added by W. B. Colbram.

Changes Over Time

More changes happened in 1903 and 1904. Architects from Lancaster, Austin and Paley, built the tall tower at the west end. They also removed some old rooms there and added more seating.

Wealthy families from the area, like the Hargreaves and Thursby families, helped pay for these building projects. These families owned local coal mines. In 1843, the area around the church became its own special district.

Inside the Church

In 1902, some upper seating areas, called galleries, were taken out. The plasterwork inside the church was removed in 1929. In 1973, the inside of the church was changed again. Rooms were created at the west end by adding a new floor.

What the Church Looks Like

St John's Church is made from sandstone and has slate roofs. Its style is called Early English, which is a type of Gothic Revival design.

Key Parts of the Building

The church has a main area called the nave with five sections. It also has a chancel and a tower at the west end. The tower has three levels, with the top two levels set back a bit.

The Tower's Details

The tower has special corner supports called pilaster-straps. The very top part, called the parapet, is also set back. At the bottom of the tower, there's an arched doorway. Five steps lead up to this door.

Next to the steps, there's a wrought iron handrail. This handrail was designed in 1979 by Brian Rourke. It has decorations that show the local industries from the past.

The middle part of the tower has small windows on each side. There's also a clock face on the west side. The top part of the tower has arched openings with louvred slats for the bells. It also has round shapes with quatrefoil designs.

Windows and Stained Glass

The main part of the church has shallow supports called buttresses between its sections. Each section has a large, tall window. The window at the east end has three equal tall windows. These windows, and the ones in the tower, have beautiful stained glass. The stained glass was designed by George Wragge in the 1930s.

Outside the Church Grounds

The churchyard is a special place. It contains the war graves of two soldiers from World War I. There is also a grave for a soldier from World War II. These graves remind us of people who served their country.

More to Explore

• Listed buildings in Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood
• List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1895–1914)