Nominal: 822.5 Hz Weight: 1183 lbs Diameter: 39.5" Bell 1 of 8
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1854
Dove Bell ID: 344 Tower ID: 12876 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Bacup: Christ Church with St. John
Overview
Grid reference: SD 873 233
A Victorian Gothic church of stone. The church is set on the edge of streets of terraced houses just off the main road to Burnley from Bacup town centre, a small former mill town. Built in 1854, the money (£3,000) donated by the Heyworth family. It was designed by the Lancaster based architect’s firm of Sharpe and Paley. The church has considerable vertical emphasis, partly due to its elevated location but increased by the powerful south-west tower. The church is well proportioned with considerable architectural detail, designed in the Early English style of the 13th century popular at the time of its construction.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
South-west tower, adjacent south porch, 4-bay aisled nave, chancel with south vestry and transeptal north organ chamber.
Dimensions:
Nave c 23m (75 ft) x 5m (16ft), chancel 8.5m (27ft)
Footprint of Church buildings: 517 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
Built in 1854, the money (£3,000) donated by the Heyworth family. It was designed by the Lancaster based architect’s firm of Sharpe and Paley. This was the second parish church built in Bacup itself, built while the first, neo-classical church of St John built in 1788 was still standing.
The organ was moved in 1893 following the construction of the organ chamber and vestries. Major refitting was necessary following a fire in 1958 which seems to have gutted the chancel, organ chamber and vestries, destroying the organ and chancel furniture.
There was a major repair and restoration programme in the 1980s, which involved curing dry rot, installing heating and removing all the plaster from the walls with the intention of creating a “medieval” look. The west bay of the nave has recently been screened to provide a parish room, built in memory of George Mills, died 1999.
Exterior Description
The church has considerable vertical emphasis, partly due to its elevated location but increased by the powerful south-west tower. The church is well proportioned with considerable architectural detail, designed in the Early English style of the 13th century popular at the time of its construction.
The tower is of three stages with diagonal buttresses to half its height, the stages set back so that the tower tapers towards the top. At the south-east corner a polygonal stair turret terminates above the parapet in a lantern with a conical cap. The pointed upper openings have been clumsily blocked with concrete slabs. The 3-light west window has a hoodmould run out as a weathering. There are smaller 3-light windows to the second stage asymmetrically set on the west and south sides, the third stage has 2-light belfry openings in recessed panels, and a plain parapet with roll-moulded coping.
The gabled porch to the west bay of the nave adjacent to the tower has stout demi-columns with stiff-leaf capitals and a 2-centred arch with four orders of hollow moulding, under a hoodmould with head stops. As elsewhere, coped gables with kneelers. The inner doorway is similar with foliate stops to the hoodmould. The door has attractive scrolling ironwork, as to all doors. Stone steps lead in, stone benches line the walls. A shouldered doorway gives access to the tower stair, which is a newel staircase of stone. The porch roof is a wagon structure with collars, painted white.
The west end of the nave is set back, with an arched doorway under a hoodmould with head stops, and plate tracery consisting of three 2-light windows and a wheel window in the gable. The aisles have coupled single-light windows to aisles with hoodmoulds and head stops, with stepped triplets in the gable walls and quatrefoils to the nave clearstorey. The north transept (organ chamber) has a single lancet. The south wall of the 2-bay chancel has a tall 2-light window and a lancet to the sanctuary (the north sanctuary window has been blocked) and a stepped triple lancet east window.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
Undated
East window: three tiers of scenes from Christ’s life and ministry culminating in the Crucifixion and Ascension in the central light. Unsigned and undated.
Stained Glass
20th Century
South chancel window, a depiction of Thomas Holt, Chorister, died 1932
Stained Glass
20th Century
Lady Chapel east window, the Virgin Mary with Child in the middle light above the Holy Family in the workshop, and the Virgin also in various poses in the flanking lights. Given in memory of Juliana Charlotte Hepworth, died 1915. Probably by Shrigley & Hunt.
Stained Glass
20th Century
South aisle, 2-light depicting St George and St Martin, a Great War memorial. Shrigley & Hunt.
Stained Glass
20th Century
North aisle, 2-light with the Crucifixion and Christ crowning a young man offering him a sword. A Great War memorial and a set with the south aisle counterpart. By Shrigley & Hunt.
Stained Glass
20th Century
North aisle, 2-light with roses and lilies, in memory of Muriel Roscoe died 1935. She was the daughter of the vicar, and an accomplished singer who wrote poetry and hymns for the church. Probably by Shrigley & Hunt.
Stained Glass
20th Century
North aisle west end: Two lights, Henry Purcell and female with lute (St Cecilia?), given in memory of George Henry Smith, Chorister, died 1932. By Shrigley & Hunt.
Stained Glass
20th Century
South aisle west end: Two lights, saints with harp and cymbals, given in memory of John Richard Chew, Chorister, died 1927. By Walter J Pearce of Manchester
Building Materials
Sandstone
Slate
Roof
Interior
Interior Description
The character of the interior is defined by the bare stone walls and due to the relatively small lancet windows rather gloomy, this effect perhaps enhanced by the trees blocking some of the light. Looking west, a light-stained wooden screen with odd zig-zag detailing reaching almost up to the arches has been erected across the western 1½ bays of the nave and aisles, defining a parish room and toilet and kitchen facilities. It blocks the light from the west windows. There are thick iron girders within spanning the nave from column to column to support the ceiling of this.
Turning east, the nave arcades are carried on columns with moulded capitals and moulded 2-centred arches with continuous hoodmould. Moulded stone corbels support wall-shafts at clearstorey level from which rise posts to principal roof trusses, which have arch-braced collars with diagonal struts. The nave is fully pewed with plain benches, these have and moulded ends, plain but good. Blue carpet down the central alley over stone flagged floor.
The moulded chancel arch is carried on raised black granite colonnettes which have heavily foliated corbels and caps. A large arch opens to the north, within which is a light open tracery wooden screen demarcating the organ chamber, with plain pipes displayed above. Wagon roof. Simple light-stained choir stalls with fleur-de-lys finials. Encaustic tile floor with floral patterns and borders in the sanctuary, the focus of which is the High Altar and stone reredos, with an attractive stained glass window above. There is a Lady Chapel at the east end of the south aisle.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
Light-stained oak chest altar with blind tracery. Of a piece with the choir stalls and communion rails.
Reredos
Stone whitewashed reredos, blind arcading with crocketed decoration and many carved heads along the top, painted white.
Pulpit
Stone (whitewashed) with blind tracery, moulded cornice and moulded and coved stem and foot.
Lectern
1896
Dark-stained oak eagle
Font (object)
Octagonal stone bowl supported on eight columns with foliage and chevron carving around the capitals, painted white. Angels carved on the bowl. Also a modern portable font.
Organ (object)
1959
By J W Walker & sons
Rail
Wooden rail with tracery to High altar, replacing 1948 War Memorial rails. Plain wooden to Lady altar.
Bells
Nominal: 1641 Hz Weight: 407 lbs Diameter: 24.5" Bell 2 of 8
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1923
Dove Bell ID: 9447 Tower ID: 12876 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1546.5 Hz Weight: 421 lbs Diameter: 25.5" Bell 3 of 8
Founded by Mears & Stainbank 1923
Dove Bell ID: 9448 Tower ID: 12876 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1377.5 Hz Weight: 534 lbs Diameter: 27.75" Bell 4 of 8
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1854
Dove Bell ID: 9449 Tower ID: 12876 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1233 Hz Weight: 600 lbs Diameter: 28.75" Bell 5 of 8
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1854
Dove Bell ID: 9450 Tower ID: 12876 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1093.5 Hz Weight: 711 lbs Diameter: 31.75" Bell 6 of 8
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1854
Dove Bell ID: 9451 Tower ID: 12876 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1032.5 Hz Weight: 757 lbs Diameter: 33" Bell 7 of 8
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1854
Dove Bell ID: 9452 Tower ID: 12876 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 910 Hz Weight: 898 lbs Diameter: 36" Bell 8 of 8
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1854
Dove Bell ID: 9453 Tower ID: 12876 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Churchyard
Grid reference: SD 873 233
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
Quinquennial Inspections
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