St Silas' Church, Blackburn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Silas' Church, Blackburn
St Silas' Church, Blackburn, from the southeast
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OS grid reference	SD 667,285
Location	Blackburn, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Silas, Blackburn
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Silas
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	19 April 1974
Architect(s)	Paley and Austin
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1894
Completed	1914
Specifications
Spire height	104 feet (32 m) (tower)
Materials	Sandstone, slate roofs
Administration
Parish	St Silas, Blackburn
Deanery	Blackburn with Darwen
Archdeaconry	Blackburn
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York

St Silas' Church is a beautiful old church located in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican church, meaning it is part of the Church of England. This church is very special and important, so it is listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is a particularly important building of more than special interest.

When Was St Silas' Church Built?

The famous architects Paley and Austin first designed St Silas' Church in 1878. However, building work did not begin until 1894. The first part of the church was finished by 1898. This first stage cost about £10,000, which was a lot of money back then! It could seat 609 people.

The tall tower, which is about 104 feet (32 meters) high, was added later, between 1913 and 1914. A porch was also built at this time. The church was planned to have a spire on top of the tower, but this was never built. Before the church was completed, services were held in a nearby Sunday school and then in a school building.

What Does St Silas' Church Look Like?

St Silas' Church is built using sandstone, which is a type of rock, with special cut stones called freestone for details. The outside walls are made of yellow sandstone, and the inside walls are red. The roofs are covered with slate tiles.

Outside the Church

The church has a main area called a nave, with side sections called aisles. There is a porch at the southwest side where people enter. It also has two parts sticking out, called transepts. One transept holds the organ, and the other is a small chapel. The main altar area is called the chancel, with a room for clergy called a vestry.

The church is built in a style called Gothic Revival. This style looks like the old churches from the Middle Ages. The tower has three main levels and strong corner supports called buttresses. There is also a small, round tower with stairs at one corner that goes higher than the main tower. At the very top of the tower, you can see decorative walls that look like a castle, called embattled parapets, and pointed decorations called pinnacles.

The tower has a main door at the west side, with a large window above it. Higher up, there are clock faces and carvings of shields. The very top part of the tower has openings for the bells. Along the sides of the church, there are large windows with four sections. The porch is tall and has a statue of Saint Silas in a special carved space above the entrance.

Inside the Church

When you step inside St Silas' Church, it feels very grand and spacious. It is decorated in a rich, traditional style. The arches inside are beautifully carved. The main seating areas have arcades with arches supported by strong, diagonal pillars.

In the chancel, there are special seats for the clergy called sedilia and a basin for washing sacred vessels called a piscina. The font, where baptisms take place, was made in 1896. It is shaped like an octagon and has carvings on it. It has a tall, wooden cover from the 20th century that looks like old Gothic designs.

The pulpit, where sermons are given, was also made in 1896 from stone. The beautiful alabaster reredos, which is a screen behind the altar, came from Italy in 1915. It has many carved spaces and statues.

The church has amazing stained glass windows. Two of these were made by a famous company called Morris & Co. in 1908 and 1911. One window shows Saint Anne and the Adoration of the Magi. The other shows the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. There is also a window designed by Henry Holiday that shows figures from the Old Testament, like David and Gideon, with angels.

The church has a large organ with three keyboards, built in 1904 by Harrison & Harrison. It has been updated a couple of times since then. There are also eight bells in the tower, all made in 1888 by John Taylor and Company.

Images for kids

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  St Silas' Church, Blackburn, from the southeast