St Luke's Church, Great Crosby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Luke's Church, Great Crosby |
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St Luke's Church, Great Crosby,
from the northwest |
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| OS grid reference | SJ 322 999 |
| Location | Liverpool Road, Great Crosby, Sefton, Merseyside |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Luke, Great Crosby |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Luke |
| Consecrated | 26 December 1853 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 20 December 1996 |
| Architect(s) | A. and G. Holme |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival (Decorated) |
| Groundbreaking | 1853 |
| Completed | 1854 |
| Specifications | |
| Spire height | 120 feet (36.6 m) |
| Materials | Sandstone, steel roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Luke, Great Crosby |
| Deanery | Sefton |
| Archdeaconry | Liverpool |
| Diocese | Liverpool |
| Province | York |
St Luke's Church is located on Liverpool Road in Great Crosby, Merseyside, England. It is an active church for the Anglican faith. This church is a special building, recognized as a Grade II listed building in the National Heritage List for England. A fire in 1972 damaged the church's east end, which was later rebuilt.
Contents
History of St Luke's Church
St Luke's Church was built between 1853 and 1854. It was designed by architects A. and G. Holme. The first stone was laid in 1853 by John Myers, who helped fund the church. Bishop John Graham officially dedicated the church on December 26, 1853.
In 1864, a clock made by Thomas Cooke was added to the tower. Also, a set of six bells from the Mears Whitechapel Foundry was installed. In 1888, a new area for baptisms was created. The font, which is a basin for holy water, was moved to the back of the church. The choir stalls, where the choir sits, were moved into the chancel, which is the area near the altar. A new lectern, a stand for reading, was also provided.
More changes were made to the front of the church in 1969. On June 9, 1972, a fire badly damaged the east end of the church. Saunders Boston rebuilt this part of the church. They added a new steel roof, a new apse (a rounded end to the church), and three new vestries (rooms for clergy and church items). These new parts were built in a modern style. The rebuilt church was dedicated on April 13, 1975, by Bishop John Bickersteth.
Architecture and Design
Outside the Church
The church is built from sandstone blocks with decorative stone parts. It has a steel roof. The style of the church is called Decorated Gothic. The church has a wide main area called a nave, which has four sections. It does not have side aisles. There is a porch on the south side. The church also has north and south transepts, which are parts that stick out like arms. There is a chancel at the east end and a steeple at the west end.
The steeple is 120 feet (37 meters) tall. It has a three-part tower with strong supports called buttresses. There is also a round staircase tower. On the west side of the tower, the bottom part has an arched doorway. The middle part has a window with three sections. The top part has a clock face on the west side and bell openings with slats on all sides. On top of the tower is a spire, which is a tall, pointed roof. The sections of the nave and transepts have arched windows with two parts. The three vestries added after the fire extend from the rounded apse of the chancel.
Inside the Church
Inside, the old box pews, which are enclosed seats, were damaged by the fire. They were replaced with new pews made from pitch pine. These pews came from St Benedict's Church in Everton, which had been taken down. The holy table and credence table, which are used during services, survived the fire because they had been covered with a fire-proofing substance.
On the front of the gallery, there is a royal coat of arms from King William IV. The stained glass in the transept windows was fixed after the fire. Most of these windows were made by Capronnier and show scenes from the Bible. The windows in the nave are made of plain glass. The church has a pipe organ with two keyboards, built by Walker's in the 1970s. There are six bells that were made in 1863 by George Mears and Company. The largest bell weighs 1,382 pounds (627 kg) and is 26 inches (0.66 meters) across.
Special Recognition
The church was officially recognized as a Grade II listed building on December 20, 1996. Grade II is the lowest of the three levels of listing. It means the building is important to the country and has special historical or architectural interest.
St Luke's Church Today
St Luke's is an active church in the area of Sefton. It is part of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool. Services are held every Sunday. During the 11 AM service, there are special activities for children.
See also
- Listed buildings in Great Crosby
