St Mark's Church, Scarisbrick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mark's Church, Scarisbrick |
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St Mark's Church from the south
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 St Mark's Church, Scarisbrick
Location in the Borough of West Lancashire
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| 53°36′49″N 2°56′27″W / 53.613685°N 2.940701°W | |
| OS grid reference | SD 37774 13452 |
| Location | Scarisbrick, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St Mark |
| Consecrated | 19 April 1853 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | George Shaw William Edward Willink |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | c. 1300 |
| Years built | 1848–51 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Scarisbrick |
| Deanery | Ormskirk |
| Archdeaconry | Wigan and West Lancashire |
| Diocese | Liverpool |
| Province | York |
St Mark's Church is a special building in Scarisbrick, Lancashire, England. You can find it at the corner of Southport Road and Jacksmere Lane. This church was built a long time ago, between 1848 and 1851. It is an active Anglican church, which means it's part of the Church of England. St Mark's is a local parish church, serving the community of Scarisbrick. It also includes another small church called The Good Shepherd Mission.
Contents
How the Church Started
The area of Scarisbrick used to be part of a larger church area called Ormskirk. St Mark's Church was first built as a "chapel of ease." This means it was a smaller church built to help people who lived far from the main church in Ormskirk.
The idea to build St Mark's came from Reverend E. J. G. Hornby. He was the vicar (a type of priest) in Ormskirk at the time. Charles Scarisbrick, who lived at Scarisbrick Hall, gave the land for the new church.
The church was designed by George Shaw and built from 1848 to 1851. It was officially opened and made sacred on April 19, 1853. A bishop from Chester led the special ceremony.
Later, on December 14, 1869, Scarisbrick became its own independent church area. Reverend W. R. Ramsden was the first vicar of this new parish. In 1878, more land was given to the church by the Marquis and Marchioness de Castéja. This extra land helped to make the churchyard bigger and build a school.
The church building was made larger in 1908 by William Edward Willink. They added a new room for the clergy (called a vestry) and a new entrance (a porch). They also made some changes inside the church.
What the Church Looks Like
St Mark's Church is built from a light cream-grey sandstone. This stone came from a local quarry nearby. The roof is made of blue slate. The stone on the outside looks rough and natural, but the areas around the windows and doors are smooth.
Outside the Church
The church has a main long part called the nave. At the front end of the nave, there's a small tower for a bell, called a bellcote. There are also two tall, narrow windows here. The back part of the church, where the altar is, is called the chancel. It is a bit lower than the nave.
All the other windows are also tall and narrow, in a style called "lancet windows." There are strong stone supports, called buttresses, between the windows. The church's design style is from around the year 1300.
Inside the Church
Inside the church, you'll find a special war memorial. It has two beautiful stained glass windows. Each window has two sections. One window shows figures named Joshua and Cornelius. The other window shows Saint George and Saint Nicholas.
Next to these windows are two plaques made of marble. These plaques remember 33 people who died in World War I and 11 people who died in World War II. In 1947, an electronic organ was given to the church.
Things Around the Church
Around the church, there is a wall that marks its boundary. This wall has a special gate called a lychgate, which is also made of the same stone as the church.
In the churchyard, there are nine graves for soldiers. These are called Commonwealth War Graves. They belong to soldiers who died in World War I and World War II.
St Mark's also has a parish hall. This hall is used for meetings and other church events. It was opened by Bishop Flagg on June 6, 1986.
How the Church is Run
St Mark's is an active church within the Church of England. It is part of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, which is a larger church area. This diocese is part of the Province of York, an even bigger church region.
The church is also part of the Wigan and West Lancashire archdeaconry and the Ormskirk deanery. The vicar of Ormskirk helps to choose the priest for St Mark's. As of 2015, the main priest in charge is Reverend Eileen Heaney.
The church also looks after The Good Shepherd Mission. This is a smaller church, sometimes called a "tin chapel," located on Smithy Lane in Scarisbrick.
