St Nicholas Church, Fleetwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Nicholas |
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St Nicholas Church from Poulton Road
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| Location | Fleetwood, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Dedicated | 1962 |
| Consecrated | 1987 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Designated | 1 November 2023 |
| Architect(s) | Laurence King |
| Groundbreaking | 1960 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Poulton |
| Archdeaconry | Lancaster |
| Diocese | Blackburn |
| Province | York |
St Nicholas Church is a special building in the seaside town of Fleetwood, Lancashire, England. It's located right on the coast, which is called the Fylde. This church is an active Anglican church, meaning it's part of the Church of England. It was built between 1960 and 1962. A famous architect named Laurence King designed it.
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History of St Nicholas Church
This church is actually the third one in Fleetwood to be named St Nicholas. The first church was on Wyre Street. Sadly, it was destroyed by floods in 1927. The second church was built on the same spot where the current one stands. It was taken down in the late 1950s to make room for the building you see today. Part of that second church even served as a scout hut until 2007!
Who Designed the Church?
The current St Nicholas Church was designed by Laurence King. He was a very important architect from Lancashire. He designed many church buildings. He also designed the tower of Blackburn Cathedral.
Building the Church
The first stone for the church was placed in October 1960. A bishop named Charles Claxton blessed the ground. The church was officially opened in April 1962, even though it wasn't completely finished. It was dedicated by Anthony Hoskyns-Abrahall, who was the Bishop of Lancaster at the time. The building became a full parish church in 1987. This is when it was "consecrated," meaning it was officially set apart for holy use.
A Special Building: Grade II Listed
On November 1, 2023, St Nicholas Church was given a special status. It became a Grade II listed building. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
Architecture and Design
St Nicholas Church stands on a unique, triangle-shaped piece of land. It's where three roads meet: Poulton Road, Highbury Avenue, and Broadway. Even though it looks very modern, its shape is quite traditional for a church. It has a central tower, a main hall called a nave, and a special area near the altar called a chancel. It also has porches and other rooms.
Ship-like Design
Laurence King designed the church to look like the bottom of an upside-down ship. This design was chosen to remind people of Fleetwood's connection to the sea. It also connects to St Nicholas, who is known as the patron saint of sailors.
Outside the Church
The outside of the church is mostly made of light brown bricks. You won't find any stone or concrete on the outside. Another cool feature is the steep, green copper roofs. The green color, called patina, looks great against the orange-brown bricks.
The tall, square central tower has two large brick walls on the east and west sides. The north and south sides have flat, plain glass windows. The roofs over the nave and chancel are very steep. The nave roof is much higher and covers the side aisles. Each roof has three sharp, pointed windows called dormers. These dormers are meant to look like the sails of a ship.
Inside the Church
While the outside of the church has sharp angles, the inside has many pointed arches. The inside walls are made of the same light-brown brick as the outside.
- The Organ: In the middle of the west wall, you'll find the church organ. It was built in 1961. This organ has two keyboards and pedals. It was likely one of the last organs made by the company J J Binns.
- The Altar: The main altar, which is under the tower, is raised up on two steps.
- Lady Chapel: Beyond the main altar, there's a special area called the Lady Chapel. It has the only stained glass window in the church. This window has an abstract design.
- Wood Carvings: Laurence King also designed three large wooden carvings inside the church. You can see a Madonna (a carving of Mary) and a St Nicholas on either side of the chancel arch. There's also a Crucifix (a cross with Jesus) in the chancel area.
