St Paul's Church, Brookhouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Paul's Church, Brookhouse |
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St Paul's Church, Brookhouse, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | SD 542,646 |
| Location | Brookhouse, Caton-with-Littledale, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Paul, Brookhouse |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | Before 1230 |
| Dedication | Saint Paul |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 4 October 1967 |
| Architect(s) | E. G. Paley |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Perpendicular, Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1867 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone rubble, slate roof |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Tunstall |
| Archdeaconry | Lancaster |
| Diocese | Blackburn |
| Province | York |
St Paul's Church is a beautiful old church located in Brookhouse, a village in Lancashire, England. It's an active Anglican church, meaning it's still used for services and community events today. This church is very special because it's listed as a Grade II* building. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
The first records of a church being on this spot go all the way back to before the year 1230! The church's tower is much older than the rest of the building, probably built in the 1500s.
Most of the church you see today was rebuilt between 1865 and 1867. A famous architect from Lancaster, named E. G. Paley, designed the new parts. The rebuilding cost about £4,000 back then. That would be a lot of money today!
E. G. Paley actually attended this church himself. He had a country house nearby. His son, Harry Paley, who also became an architect, is buried in the churchyard.
What the Church Looks Like
Outside the Church
St Paul's Church is built from rough sandstone pieces, called rubble. Its roof is made of slate. The church has a main area called the nave, with aisles on the north and south sides. There's also a south porch, which is like a covered entrance.
On the north side, there's a transept where the organ is kept. The chancel, which is the area near the altar, is a bit lower than the rest of the church. At the west end, there's a tall tower.
The tower has three levels and strong supports called buttresses. The top of the tower has a fancy, castle-like top. On the west side of the tower, there's a doorway with a large window above it. This window has three sections with decorative stone patterns called tracery. The openings for the bells also have three sections.
On the south side, the porch leads into the church. The main part of the church has four sections, each with a three-part window. These windows also have the same decorative tracery. There's a special door for the priest near the easternmost window. High up on the church walls, there are four windows that let light into the clerestory, which is the upper part of the nave. The large east window also has three sections with tracery.
On the west wall of the north aisle, you can see an old Norman doorway that is now blocked up. Inside this doorway, there's a carved stone panel called a tympanum with human figures. This old doorway is filled in with old coffin lids and stone slabs from the Middle Ages.
Inside the Church
Inside, the main area of the church has four arches that separate the nave from the aisles. These arches are supported by eight-sided pillars.
Behind the altar, there's a beautiful decorated screen called a reredos. It's a copy of a famous painting called the "Annunciation" by an artist named Filippo Lippi. A local artist carved it, and its shiny, golden frame was made by a company called Shrigley and Hunt.
Some of the colorful stained glass windows were also made by Shrigley and Hunt, while others were created by Abbott and Company. You can also see memorials inside the church. Some of these were moved from the older church building. The oldest memorials date back to 1775 and 1795, with others from the early and mid-1800s. The church's organ was built by a company called Conacher.
More to Explore
- Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
- Listed buildings in Caton-with-Littledale
- List of ecclesiastical works by E. G. Paley
