St Paul's Church, Preston, Lancashire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Paul's Church, Preston |
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| OS grid reference | SD 543,298 |
| Location | St Paul's Square, Preston, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Former parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 28 March 1977 |
| Architect(s) | Thomas Rickman and Henry Hutchinson |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1823 |
| Completed | 1882 |
| Construction cost | £6,221 |
| Closed | 1 January 1979 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, tiled roofs |
St Paul's Church in Preston, England, is a building that used to be an Anglican church. It is located in St Paul's Square. Today, it is no longer used as a church, which means it is a redundant building.
This historic building is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building. This means it is an important part of England's history and architecture. For many years, from 1981 to 2020, it was home to popular radio stations like Rock FM and Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire.
Contents
The History of St Paul's Church
St Paul's Church was built a long time ago, between 1823 and 1825. It was designed by two architects named Thomas Rickman and Henry Hutchinson. The Church Building Commission helped pay for its construction, giving a large sum of £6,221.
In 1882, some changes were made to the church. A new part called a chancel was added, and a special area for baptisms, called a baptistery, was created inside. These additions were designed by T. H. Myers.
The church stopped being used for religious services on January 1, 1979. Two years later, in 1981, a radio company called Red Rose Radio bought the building for £35,000. They spent a lot more money, £780,000, to turn it into a modern radio station. Sandy Brown Associates managed this big conversion project.
How the Building Was Used Later
From 1981 onwards, the old church building became the main studios for Red Rose Radio. Over time, this radio station split into two different stations. Their names changed several times, eventually becoming Rock FM and Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire.
The radio studios were set up on the ground floor of the building. The offices for the radio station staff were located on the first floor. In January 2020, the company that owned the stations, Bauer Media, announced that Rock FM would move. It relocated to a bigger network center in Manchester in March 2020.
Today, the building is no longer a radio station. It is now used as office space for different businesses.
The Architecture of the Former Church
The building of St Paul's Church is made from sandstone and has a tiled roof. Its design style is known as Early English Gothic. This style is famous for its tall, narrow windows and strong, simple shapes.
The church has a long main area called a nave with seven sections. On each side of the nave are full-height aisles. There is also a two-section chancel and some office spaces. The roof has three main parts.
West End Design
The front of the church, known as the west end, has three main parts. The middle part has a pointed top, called a gable. The two side parts are smaller and have strong corner supports called buttresses.
At the points where these sections meet, there are tall, eight-sided turrets. In the lower part of the central section, there is a row of three arches, called an arcade. Each arch holds a window. Above these windows are three lancet windows that get taller in the middle. Above them is a small round window.
The turrets are slender and have open arches at the top. They are topped with a battlement-like cap, which is like a small castle wall. Above this is a tall, pointed decoration called a pinnacle with a quatrefoil shape at its very top. Each side section of the west end has a tall lancet window.
Side and East End Features
Along the sides of the church, the different sections are separated by buttresses. The first sections on each side have a doorway with a window above it. All the other sections have pairs of lancet windows.
At the back of the church, called the east end, there are three stepped lancet windows. These windows are similar to those at the west end, with the middle one being the tallest. There are also pinnacles here, just like the ones at the front of the church.
War Memorial
In the northern part of the former church's grounds, there is a war memorial. It was moved here from its original spot because of damage from vandalism. The memorial is a slim, six-sided column made of sandstone, matching the church's style.
It stands on a small base with steps. On top of the column are six smaller columns grouped together, supporting a Celtic cross at the very top. Originally, the memorial had metal plates. These plates listed the names of the men from the area who died in World War One and possibly World War Two. However, these metal plates have been removed, and no one knows where they are now.
See also
- Listed buildings in Preston, Lancashire
- List of Commissioners' churches in Northeast and Northwest England
Images for kids
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The former St Paul's Church, Preston.
