Nominal: 684.5 Hz Weight: 1942 lbs Diameter: 47.25" Bell 1 of 12
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1920
Dove Bell ID: 5406 Tower ID: 11963 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Preston: St John
Diocese of Blackburn
Major Parish Church, 603279
http://www.prestonminster.orgOverview
Grid reference: SD 542 293
St John’s is the historic parish church of Preston, which despite its uncompromisingly industrial appearance has been a town of some importance since Roman times. The church is a fitting symbol for such a town, rebuilt many times and now Victorian in terms of fabric but with a long and complex development dating back to the 10th century at least; the advowson belonged to Earl Tostig pre-Domesday. The architectural style chosen for the rebuilding is Decorated, the tone given by the reticulated tracery in 2-centred arched windows with hood moulds to figured stops, and the numerous crocketed pinnacles. The church has a definite medieval rather than a Victorian feel, perhaps due to the fact that it has retained the medieval floor plan and dimensions. It is a worthy parish church for this large town.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Nave of 6 bays plus one part bay, with north and south aisles embracing a west tower and steeple. There are north and south porches at the west end but no west door. Three bay chancel with organ chamber in the north chancel aisle and lady chapel in the south chancel aisle. Vestries adjoin the lady chapel on the south and have a separate entrance. The aisle galleries have been removed although the west gallery remains with access through modern rooms.
Dimensions:
Nave approximately 33m (100ft) x 8m (25ft)
Footprint of Church buildings: 1006 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
St John’s is the historic parish church of Preston, which despite its industrial appearance has been a town of some importance since Roman times. The church is a fitting symbol for such a town, rebuilt many times and now Victorian in terms of fabric but with a long and complex development dating back to the 10th century at least; the advowson belonged to Earl Tostig pre-Domesday.
The church was originally dedicated to St Wilfrid. There is documentary evidence for several periods of decay and repair, at roughly 100 year intervals in the late 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The steeple was taken down and rebuilt in 1811-14, the chancel rebuilt in 1817 by the Hoghton family, major patrons of the church.
An old painting survives of the church around this time, showing a simpler building crenellated throughout. It had a narrow clearstorey and low-pitched roofs, and what would appear to be Perpendicular tracery. The tower had one large window high in each face, corner pinnacles and a crenellated parapet.
The church was restored in 1853-55 by the prolific Manchester based ecclesiastical architect E H Shellard at a cost of £9,500, whereby the building was apparently demolished except for the lower portion of the tower, and rebuilt on the original foundations. In 1887 the vestry was built and the organ moved from the west gallery.
In 1950 a Memorial Chapel of the Royal North Lancashire Regiment was erected and furnished in the north aisle. The sanctuary was restored in 1951. The church is currently undergoing a major re-ordering under faculty, and this was in full swing at the time of the visit, making appraisal of the building and its furnishings and fittings very difficult.
(2002)
Exterior Description
The architectural style chosen for the rebuilding is Decorated, the tone given by the reticulated tracery in 2-centred arched windows with hood moulds to figured stops, and the numerous crocketed pinnacles. The church has a definite medieval rather than a Victorian feel, perhaps due to the fact that it has retained the medieval floor plan and dimensions. It is a worthy parish church for this large town.
The tall 3-stage tower has a moulded plinth and string-course, with set-back buttresses. There is a small 2-light west window, a cusped lancet to the 2nd stage and large diamond clock-faces on the north and south sides, a belfry stage with 2 windows in each side, all with stone louvres and crocketed gablets. It has a cornice with prominent gargoyles, and a parapet with corner pinnacles linked by short flying buttresses to smaller pinnacles clasping the spire. The tall octagonal spire has 2-light gableted lucarnes at the base and small lucarnes on two levels above.
On the north side of the tower there is an elaborate 2-storey gabled porch. This has a doorway moulded in 2 orders under a hood mould with large angel stops and a crocketed gablet containing mouchettes. This is flanked by crocketed niches, and at 1st floor level a 2-light window flanked by cusped blind windows.
The nave, of 5 bays plus a half-bay at the east end, has buttresses finished as pinnacles on the parapet, a pair of 2-light clearstorey windows in each full bay and one in the half-bay, and octagonal pinnacles at the east end. The aisles have gableted buttresses and large 3-light windows with tracery in alternating patterns. The western bay of the south aisle has a cusped doorway.
The 3-bay chancel has diagonal buttresses at the east end terminating in pinnacles, flanking a large 5-light east window. There is a 3 light window on the north side and a parapet with zigzag open-work. On the north side of the chancel stands a tall 2-bay organ house, which has 3-light windows in the north side, a large 4 light east window and 3-light windows in the south side. These latter are mostly obscured by the parallel vestry, which has a doorway at the west end, a traceried 3-light window at the east end and coupled lancets in the north wall.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
19th century 6 and a half bays
Aisle
19th century north
Lady Chapel
20th century memorial
Aisle
19th century south
Tower (component)
19th century mostly
Steeple
19th century
Porch
19th century north
Porch
19th century south
Chancel
19th century 3-bay
Vestry
19th century adjoins chapel
Gallery (ecclesiastical)
19th century only the west one remains
Building Materials
Sandstone
19th century Grey longridge sandstone ashlar.
Slate
19th century roofs
Sandstone
19th Century
Longridge Stone
Interior
Interior Description
Moving inside the high and well-lit church, the aisle arcades have quatrefoil piers with nobbly leaf capitals carrying 2-centred arches moulded in 2 orders, with hood-moulds linked by figured stops, the arches of the half-bay dying into the chancel wall. The chancel arch and the 3 bay arcades dividing the chancel from the side chapels are in a similar style, but with moulded annular caps to the columns and 3 orders of moulding to the arches.
There are hammer beam roofs to both nave and chancel. The gallery at the west end of nave has survived, carried on large timber girders with mouchette tracery, with cusped blind arcaded panelling to the front. There were formerly similar galleries in the aisles but these were removed in the 1960’s, leaving only the corbels on the piers.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
20th century modern
Reredos
19th century Gilded frame with riddle posts and painted foliage behind the altar.
Pulpit
20th century Square panelled wooden, modern.
Font (component)
19th century Lead lined painted stone font at east end of south aisle. Carved spire cover stands on floor.
Stained Glass (window)
19th century East window – Crucifixion and scenes from Christ’s passion. Gift of Sir Henry Bold Hoghton, Bart c1855 by Wailes of Newcastle. Nave and clearstorey – some scriptural scenes (nave) and others (nave and clearstorey) the arms of notable people including royal visitors to Preston, benefactors, Guild Mayors from 1328-1842, the civic and ecclesiastical authorities at the time of rebuilding and well known local families. The windows were a gift from the brothers John and Thomas Addison. Other stained glass in the vestry rooms at the east end and also a smaller window at the west end with green glass and round panels (almost domestic in style). There is a dedication to the Hopwood (?) family. 19th-century.
Inscribed Object
19th century (Pevsner) Monuments include two tablets in the chancel Mrs Boughton d.1715 and Dame Mary Hoghton d.1720 both with small busts on top. 3 monumental slabs to the other members of Hoghton family at the east end of the nave (1719/20, 1768, 1772). In the chapel there is a large wall monument to the Rev Roger Carus Wilson (d 1839) elaborately carved in Gothic style by J Theakston of London, including reliefs of 5 Preston Churches built during his incumbency. Also a Gothic monument to William St Clare (d 1822) by Webster. In the tower is a Gothic tomb recess to Thomas Starkie Shuttleworth (d 1819), and others to various civic dignitaries.
Organ (component)
19th century A fine organ of three manuals and pedal with 48 speaking stops. It was last rebuilt by David Wells organ builders in 1989, incorporating new electropneumatic action and a new console, and should therefore be in good working order. The organ has a long history of works by distinguished organ builders and includes pipes by Hill and Gray & Davison from the first organ, built in 1802.
Stall
19th century Two ranges of oak carved traceried choir stalls on either side of the chancel.
Bells
Nominal: 2071.5 Hz Weight: 508 lbs Diameter: 23.63" Bell 2 of 12
Founded by Whitechapel Bell Foundry 2003
Dove Bell ID: 35629 Tower ID: 11963 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1853.5 Hz Weight: 514 lbs Diameter: 24.63" Bell 3 of 12
Founded by Whitechapel Bell Foundry 2003
Dove Bell ID: 35630 Tower ID: 11963 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1745.5 Hz Weight: 519 lbs Diameter: 25.81" Bell 4 of 12
Founded by Whitechapel Bell Foundry 1997
Dove Bell ID: 35631 Tower ID: 11963 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1555.5 Hz Weight: 566 lbs Diameter: 27.06" Bell 5 of 12
Founded by Whitechapel Bell Foundry 1997
Dove Bell ID: 35632 Tower ID: 11963 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1387 Hz Weight: 582 lbs Diameter: 28.5" Bell 6 of 12
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1920
Dove Bell ID: 35633 Tower ID: 11963 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1297 Hz Weight: 574 lbs Diameter: 29.25" Bell 7 of 12
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1920
Dove Bell ID: 35634 Tower ID: 11963 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1151 Hz Weight: 651 lbs Diameter: 31" Bell 8 of 12
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1920
Dove Bell ID: 35635 Tower ID: 11963 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1023.5 Hz Weight: 812 lbs Diameter: 34" Bell 9 of 12
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1920
Dove Bell ID: 35636 Tower ID: 11963 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 911 Hz Weight: 875 lbs Diameter: 35.5" Bell 10 of 12
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1920
Dove Bell ID: 35637 Tower ID: 11963 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 857 Hz Weight: 1008 lbs Diameter: 38" Bell 11 of 12
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1920
Dove Bell ID: 35638 Tower ID: 11963 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 768 Hz Weight: 1324 lbs Diameter: 41.75" Bell 12 of 12
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1920
Dove Bell ID: 35639 Tower ID: 11963 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers from 1611 on survive.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SD 542 293
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Submit a change
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