St John the Evangelist's Church, Yealand Conyers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St John the Evangelist's Church, Yealand Conyers
St John's Church from the south
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OS grid reference	SD 507 748
Location	Church Lane, Yealand Conyers, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St John, Yealand
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	1838
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	2 May 1968
Architect(s)	George Webster (attrib.)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1838
Completed	1882
Specifications
Materials	Limestone and sandstone, slate roof
Administration
Parish	St. John Yealand Conyers
Deanery	Tunstall
Archdeaconry	Lancaster
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York

St John the Evangelist's Church is a historic church located in Church Lane, Yealand Conyers, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican church, meaning it belongs to the Church of England. The church was first built in 1838. Later, it was made bigger in 1861 and again in 1882.

The church is mostly built from limestone. It has a main hall called a nave, a side area known as a north aisle, a special area for the altar called a chancel, and a tall section at the front called a west tower. Inside, there is a balcony at the back and beautiful stained glass windows made by artists Shrigley and Hunt. St John's Church holds services every Sunday and Wednesday. It is also a special building, protected as a Grade II listed building because of its history and architecture.

History of the Church

The church was first built in 1838. Experts believe that George Webster, a famous architect, might have designed it. In 1861, a new north aisle was added to make the church larger. Then, in 1882, the chancel (the area around the altar) was also extended.

Originally, St John's was a "chapel of ease." This meant it was a smaller church that helped people attend services if their main parish church was too far away. It was part of the parish of St Oswald, Warton. However, on 25 September 1870, St John's became its own independent parish church.

What the Church Looks Like

Outside the Church

St John's Church is built using limestone rocks and has special limestone decorations. The chancel, a part of the church, has sandstone decorations. The tower is covered with small stones and cement, a style called pebbledashed. The roof is made of slate tiles.

The church has a main section (the nave) with five parts, a north aisle, a chancel, and a tower at the west end. The tower has a main entrance with a pointed arch. On either side of the door are strong supports called buttresses. Above the door, there is a window with a pointed top and special stone patterns called Y-tracery. At the very top of the tower, there is a decorative wall with square openings, known as a battlemented parapet.

Along the side aisle and the south wall of the nave, you can see tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. The chancel windows have a special leaf-like shape called cusped. At the east end of the church, there are three buttresses and a large window with three sections. This window has beautiful intersecting tracery and small, three-leaf shapes called trefoils.

Inside the Church

Inside St John's, the main walkway is lined with arches supported by eight-sided pillars called octagonal piers. There is also a balcony at the back of the church, known as a west gallery.

On the south side, you can see a stunning stained glass window. It was made in 1889 by Carl Almquist from Shrigley and Hunt. This window shows the Good Shepherd, a well-known image from the Bible. There are also two special stone plaques, called memorial tablets, designed by George Webster. The church also has a pipe organ that was built by the Jardine Organ Company.

Why the Church is Special

St John's Church was officially named a Grade II listed building on 2 May 1968. This means it is a building of "special interest" and efforts should be made to keep it safe. Grade II is the most common level of protection for historic buildings in England.

Architectural experts, including Hartwell and Pevsner, have described the church in their Buildings of England books. They said the church looks "low and homely." However, they also noted that the battlements on the tower look a bit "clumsy," and the decorative stone arches above the windows (hood moulds) appear "lumpy."

The Church Today

Today, St John's Church is still an active parish church. It is part of a larger group of churches in the deanery of Tunstall, the archdeaconry of Lancaster, and the diocese of Blackburn. Its parish is connected with two other churches: St Oswald, Warton, and St Mary, Borwick. People can attend church services there on Sundays and Wednesdays.

See also

• Listed buildings in Yealand Conyers