St Thomas' Church, St Anne's-on-the-Sea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Thomas', St Anne's-on-the-Sea |
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| OS grid reference | SD 32538 28381 |
| Location | St Anne's-on-the-Sea, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Architect(s) | Austin and Paley |
| Completed | 1905 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Kirkham |
| Archdeaconry | Lancaster |
| Diocese | Blackburn |
| Province | York |
St Thomas' Church is a special Anglican church in St Anne's-on-the-Sea, a town on the coast of Lancashire, England. It's an active parish church for the local community. The church was designed by a famous team of architects called Austin and Paley. It's so important that it's listed as a Grade II building on the National Heritage List for England.
Contents
History of St Thomas' Church
St Anne's-on-the-Sea became a popular seaside town in the 1800s. The first church there, St Anne's, was finished in 1873.
Building the Church
The area around St Thomas' needed its own church. So, in 1893, a small temporary church made of wood was built. Soon, people realized a bigger, stronger church was needed. They started collecting money to build it. A local landowner, John Talbot Clifton, gave the land. A brewer named Robert Slater Boddington even donated £500!
Construction began in 1899. The church was designed by the Lancaster-based firm Austin and Paley. They had won a competition to design it back in 1892. The original plans included a tower and a porch, but these parts were not built right away. When it first opened, the church could seat 600 people.
Opening and Expansion
The church was officially opened and dedicated to St Thomas in 1900. This ceremony was led by James Moorhouse, who was the Bishop of Manchester at the time. A few years later, in 1904–05, the tower, porch, and extra parts of the main church area (called the nave) were finally added. This made the church even bigger, allowing it to seat 670 people.
Church Status and Importance
On February 15, 1993, St Thomas' Church was given a Grade II listed building status. This means it's considered "nationally important and of special interest." It's an active church within the Church of England. St Thomas' is part of the Diocese of Blackburn, which is in the Province of York.
Architecture and Design
St Thomas' Church is built from red Accrington brick. The areas around the windows are made of cream-colored Yorkshire stone. The arches and pillars inside are made of red sandstone. The roofs are covered with red tiles.
Outside the Church
The church has a main area called the nave. There's a tall, square tower on the north-west side. The tower has strong diagonal supports called buttresses. It also has fancy openings for the bells and a decorative top with pointed parts called pinnacles.
Inside the Church
The church has beautiful Stained glass windows. These windows were created by different artists and companies, including Powells, G. P. Hutchinson, Carl Edwards, and Shrigley & Hunt.
Churchyard Features
The churchyard is the area around the church. It contains the war grave of a soldier from the Royal Artillery who died during World War II.
See also
- Listed buildings in Saint Anne's on the Sea
- List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1895–1914)
