St Mark's Church, Blackburn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mark's Church, Blackburn |
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| St Mark's Church, Witton | |
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West front of St Mark's Church, Blackburn
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| OS grid reference | SD 665,276 |
| Location | Buncer Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Mark, Witton |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 1836 |
| Founder(s) | Feilden family |
| Dedication | St Mark |
| Consecrated | 10 June 1838 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 19 April 1974 |
| Architect(s) | Edmund Sharpe E. G. Paley Paley and Austin |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Romanesque Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 6 October 1836 |
| Completed | 1887 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Christ the King |
| Deanery | Blackburn with Darwen |
| Archdeaconry | Blackburn |
| Diocese | Blackburn |
| Province | York |
St Mark's Church is a historic building located on Buncer Lane in Blackburn, England. It used to be a church for the Anglican faith, but it is now a redundant church, meaning it is no longer used for regular church services. The church was put up for sale in 2018.
St Mark's Church is very important because it is a designated Grade II* listed building. This means it has special historical and architectural value that needs to be protected.
History of St Mark's Church
St Mark's is one of the oldest churches in the Blackburn area. It was started by the Feilden family, who were very important landowners in Blackburn at the time. Joseph Feilden gave the land for the church. He also donated £200 towards its construction and £50 for the beautiful stained glass windows.
The church was built between 1836 and 1838. It was designed by Edmund Sharpe, an architect from Lancaster. This was Sharpe's very first church project. He designed it in a style called Romanesque Revival, which means it looks like old Roman buildings. The total cost to build the church was about £1,700, which would be worth much more today.
The foundation stone for the church was laid on October 10, 1836, by Joseph Feilden. The church was officially opened and blessed on June 10, 1838, by Bishop John Bird Sumner.
Later, in 1870, a south transept (a part of the church that sticks out like an arm) was added. This was designed by E. G. Paley, who took over Sharpe's architectural practice. This transept was built to be a special burial place for the Feilden family. Between 1881 and 1887, the church was updated by Paley and Austin. They added the north transept and a vestry, which is a room used by the clergy.
Architecture and Design
The church is built from stone. An expert in architecture, Nikolaus Pevsner, called St Mark's "One of the most interesting churches in Blackburn."
The outside of the church has a grid-like pattern made by flat, column-like shapes called lesenes and horizontal bands called string courses. The front of the church has a pointed roof shape called a gable and a porch. Along the sides, there are two rows of windows, with the upper windows being smaller.
The church has a cruciform (cross-shaped) layout. It has a wide main area called a nave without side aisles. This nave then narrows into a chancel, which is the area near the altar, and ends in a rounded section called an apse. The north transept has five sides, while the south transept is square.
A tall, eight-sided tower rises from where the nave and chancel meet. It has a small gable on each side and is topped with a spire. Some experts describe the church as a "curious building." They note that the tower's position makes the passage inside quite narrow, which can block the view from the nave to the chancel.
Inside the church, there is a gallery at the west end. It has a screen from the late 1900s supported by cast iron columns. The screen in front of the chancel is in a style called Perpendicular Gothic and was added around 1920. The stained glass in the east window was designed by Thomas Willement and dates back to 1838.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
- Listed buildings in Blackburn
- List of architectural works by Edmund Sharpe
- List of ecclesiastical works by Paley and Austin
