St Paul's Church, Longridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Paul's Church, Longridge |
|
|---|---|
St Paul's Church, Longridge, from the southeast
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| OS grid reference | SD 606 374 |
| Location | Off Berry Lane, Longridge, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Paul, Longridge |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Paul |
| Consecrated | 1890 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 22 November 1983 |
| Architect(s) | Ewan Christian, A. C. M. Lillie |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1886 |
| Completed | 1937 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, slate roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Longridge |
| Deanery | Preston |
| Archdeaconry | Lancaster |
| Diocese | Blackburn |
| Province | York |
St Paul's Church is a historic church located off Berry Lane in Longridge, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, which means it's part of the Church of England. The main part of the church was built between 1886 and 1888. A tall tower was added later, from 1936 to 1937. This church is recognized as a "Grade II listed building" in the National Heritage List for England. This means it has special historical or architectural importance.
Contents
History of St Paul's Church
St Paul's Church was built from 1886 to 1888. It was first designed by Ewan Christian to be a smaller, easier-to-reach church for the people of Longridge. It served alongside the main parish church, St Lawrence. Lady Stanley laid the first stone in 1886. The church was officially opened and blessed by the Bishop of Manchester in 1890.
Later, from 1936 to 1937, a tower was added to the church. This tower was designed by A. C. M. Lillie. Today, St Paul's and St Lawrence's churches work together as the main parish churches for Longridge.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
St Paul's Church is built from sandstone and has slate roofs. It has a long main area called a nave with five sections. On either side of the nave are north and south aisles. Above the nave is a clerestory, which is a row of windows that lets in light.
The church also has a chancel (the area around the altar), a room for the organ and a vestry (where clergy prepare) on the north side, and a tall tower at the west end. The tower has strong corner supports called buttresses. Its main entrance has a fancy moulded frame. Above the door, there's a large window with three sections, and even higher, three narrow lancet windows.
The tower has two narrow bell openings on each side. At the very top, there's a decorative wall called an embattled parapet with pointed decorations called pinnacles at each corner. On the south side of the tower, there's a round staircase built into the wall. All the windows in the church have a special stone pattern called Perpendicular tracery.
Inside the Church
Inside St Paul's, you'll see rows of arches called arcades. These arches are supported by eight-sided pillars. The arch leading into the chancel is also decorated with mouldings. There's a tall arch that connects the nave to the tower. Both the nave and the chancel have open wooden roofs, showing the timber structure.
The beautiful stained glass in the east window was made by Kempe before 1899. There's another window from the 1960s that shows Saint George and the Dragon. This window might have been made by Shrigley and Hunt. The church also has a large pipe organ with three keyboards, built in 1894 by Henry Willis. It has been repaired and updated several times, most recently in 2002.
Why St Paul's is a Listed Building
St Paul's Church was officially named a Grade II listed building on November 22, 1983. In England, buildings are given grades to show their historical or architectural importance. Grade II is the most common grade. It means the building is considered to be of "special interest."
Architectural experts, like Hartwell and Pevsner, have described the church in their Buildings in England series. They noted that the church looks "rather squat" and that its design is "all rather conventional."
St Paul's Church Today
Today, St Paul's is an active Anglican parish church. It is part of the Preston area of churches, which is in the Lancaster region, within the Blackburn diocese. The church works closely with St Lawrence's Church. They hold services on Sundays and Thursdays and also publish a local magazine for the parish.
See also
- Listed buildings in Longridge
