St Saviour's Church, Cuerden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Saviour's Church, Cuerden
St Saviour's Church, Cuerden, from the north
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OS grid reference	SD 565,250
Location	Cuerden, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Saviour, Cuerden
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	28 July 1836
Consecrated	3 October 1837
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	27 February 1984
Architect(s)	Edmund Sharpe, T. H. Myres
Architectural type	Church
Style	Romanesque Revival
Groundbreaking	1836
Completed	1886
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone, slate roof with red ridge tiles
Administration
Parish	St Saviour, Bamber Bridge
Deanery	Leyland
Archdeaconry	Blackburn
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York

St Saviour's Church is a historic and active church located in the village of Cuerden, Lancashire, England. It is an Anglican parish church, meaning it serves the local community for worship and other activities. The church is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historical site that needs to be protected.

History of St Saviour's Church

Building the Original Church (1836-1837)

St Saviour's Church was built between 1836 and 1837. It was designed by Edmund Sharpe, an architect from Lancaster. This was one of Sharpe's first big projects. He designed the church in a style called Romanesque Revival. This style looks back to the old Romanesque buildings from the Middle Ages.

The plans for the church were signed by Sharpe on May 9, 1836. The estimated cost to build it was about £1,360. Most of the money came from "public subscription," which means many people donated small amounts. The land for the church was given by Robert Townley Parker of Cuerden Hall, who also donated £200.

The first stone was laid on July 28, 1836. When it was finished, the church had 450 seats. It was officially opened and blessed, a process called consecration, on October 3, 1837, by the Bishop of Chester.

Later Additions and Changes (1886)

Many years later, in 1886, more parts were added to the church. The chancel (the area around the altar) and the transepts (parts that stick out like arms of a cross) were built. These new sections were designed by Thomas Harrison Myres and matched the original Romanesque style.

The foundation stone for these additions was laid on July 17, 1886. The church, with its new parts, was blessed again on February 10, 1887, by the Bishop of Manchester.

Architecture and Design

St Saviour's Church is built using local sandstone. Its roof is made of Welsh slate tiles, with red tiles along the top ridge. The church's layout includes a long main hall called a nave with five sections. It also has transepts and a chancel that ends in a rounded shape called a semicircular apse.

At the west end of the church, there is a tall tower. This tower has a square base with two levels, topped by an eight-sided section, and then a pointed spire. Inside the church, there is a balcony or gallery that is held up by strong cast iron columns. These columns are decorated with the Royal coat of arms.

You can also see special stone tablets on the walls, which are memorials to the Townley Parker family. The font, used for baptisms, was added in the early 1900s. It has an eight-sided bowl supported by angel figures. Its bronze cover features a figure of St John the Baptist. The church also has a large organ with two keyboards, built in 1889 by Alexander Young.

Churchyards

The church has two churchyards, which are burial grounds. The main churchyard contains the graves of three British service members who died in World War I and two who died in World War II. These are known as Commonwealth war graves. An additional churchyard area holds three more war graves of British soldiers from World War I.

See also

• Listed buildings in Walton-le-Dale
• List of architectural works by Edmund Sharpe