St Thomas' Church, Lancaster facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Thomas' Church, Lancaster
St Thomas' Church, Lancaster
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OS grid reference	SD 477,614
Location	Marton Street, Lancaster, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Charismatic evangelical
Weekly attendance	600
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	3 March 1840
Dedication	St Thomas
Consecrated	14 June 1841
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	13 March 1995
Architect(s)	Edmund Sharpe, E. G. Paley
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1840
Completed	1853
Specifications
Spire height	120 feet (36.6 m)
Materials	Sandstone, slate roofs
Administration
Parish	St Thomas, Lancaster
Deanery	Lancaster
Archdeaconry	Lancaster
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York

St Thomas' Church is a special old church located in Marton Street, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It's an active Anglican parish church, which means it's part of the Church of England. This church is so important that it's officially recognized as a Grade II listed building, meaning it has historical or architectural value.

History of St Thomas' Church

St Thomas' Church was built between 1840 and 1841. It was designed by a local architect named Edmund Sharpe. Even Queen Victoria helped fund the church, contributing £150. The land for the church was given by George Marton, and Elizabeth Salisbury also made a large donation.

The church was planned to hold 1,100 people. Its foundation stone was laid on March 3, 1840. The church first opened for worship on April 14, 1841, and was officially blessed on June 14 by Bishop John Bird Sumner. Later, in 1852–53, Sharpe's successor, E. G. Paley, added the northeast steeple and the chancel, keeping a similar style.

The first vicar, or priest, was Rev. Joseph North Green-Armytage, from 1841 to 1845. His inspiring sermons were said to have encouraged the building of the church. He was followed by Rev. Colin Campbell, who served for 11 years. Campbell invested a lot of his own money into the church. He helped build the spire, installed an organ, and even built a church school behind the church. His son, also named Colin, became the vicar in 1858.

St Thomas' Church Today

Today, St Thomas' Church follows a specific tradition within the Church of England. It is known for its charismatic and evangelical approach. The church is also part of the Evangelical Alliance and the New Wine network.

Architecture of St Thomas' Church

The church has a grand entrance with impressive gateposts and steps leading up to it. It is built from sandstone and has slate roofs. The style is called Early English, which is a type of Gothic Revival.

Outside the Church

The church's design includes a long main hall called a nave with aisles on either side. At the east end, there's a chancel, which is where the altar is. A tall steeple stands between the north aisle and the chancel. The steeple starts with two square sections, then becomes octagonal with openings for bells. The spire on top is also octagonal and has small window-like features called lucarnes, topped with a finial and an iron cross.

The west front of the church has five tall, narrow windows, with three doorways below them. There are also more narrow windows around the rest of the church, including three at the east end.

Inside the Church

Inside, there are galleries on three sides, supported by strong cast iron columns. You can find a special brass plaque from 1881. The coat of arms of Queen Victoria is displayed on the west gallery.

The beautiful stained glass in the east window was made by William Warrington. The floor tiles in the chancel and the decorative screen behind the altar, called a reredos, were made by Mintons. The pulpit and other furniture were created by James Rattee. The large pipe organ has three keyboards and was built in 1852. It was rebuilt and moved to its current spot in the northeast part of the nave between 1920 and 1940.