Nominal: 1036 Hz Weight: 605 lbs Diameter: 30.38" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1934
Dove Bell ID: 51119 Tower ID: 18415 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Blackburn: St Stephen
Overview
Grid reference: SD 694 291
This is a large Edwardian parish church of stone located in Little Harwood, a north-eastern suburb of Blackburn, in a quiet area of terraced housing. The church was built in 1908 by Cheers & Smith of Blackburn, a little known local practice, replacing a mission church of 1885. It is compact and simply designed in the lancet style, some windows have free Gothic tracery with Arts-and-Crafts influence. The west façade is the prime focus externally, with a steep roof and a large 5-light stepped lancet window below within a round-headed arch. The gables are coped with gableted shoulders and plain finial crosses.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Cruciform, 5-bay aisled nave with south transept containing organ chamber, north transept only expressed above the aisle, 2-bay chancel flanked by south vestry with adjacent toilets, north chapel, west baptistery.
Dimensions:
Nave estimated to be c 24m x 6m (78ft x 19’6ft).
Description of Archaeology and History
In the late 18th century and 19th century Blackburn, a small medieval market town named in Domesday, rapidly expanded for the textile industry, as with most Lancashire towns. The church was built in 1908 by Cheers & Smith of Blackburn, a little known local practice, replacing a mission church of 1885. It cost £5,500, plunging the new parish into debt which was cleared with the help of public subscription and pew rents, charged as late as 1965. The original design had included a tower and spire and external porches but these were never built. The baptistery was added, or completed, in 1931. Recent years have seen recession in the old industries.
Exterior Description
This is a compact and simply but competently designed church in the lancet style, some windows have free Gothic tracery with Arts-and-Crafts influence. The west façade is the prime focus externally, with a steep roof and a large 5-light stepped lancet window below within a round-headed arch. The gables are coped with gableted shoulders and plain finial crosses. Under a cill band for the window is a low apsidal baptistery with a moulded parapet and lancets in each face. There are 2-lights with cusped tracery in the aisle west walls.
The aisles have a pointed doorway to each western bay. East of this the aisles have paired lancets between short buttresses of two weatherings. The clearstorey is three lancets to each bay, but spread out so as to be almost equidistant. The transepts are double-gabled with a valley between, the outer walls pierced by 2-lights with Gothic free tracery in the heads.
The chancel roof is lower but of the same pitch. The east wall is pierced by a pointed 5-light window with filigree tracery under a hoodmould. The angle between the south transept and chancel is taken up by the vestry with gabled east wall pierced by a stepped lancet 3-light window under a blind round-headed arch. A large chimney rises from the interstice. Adjacent on the south side of the vestry is a flat-roofed block with plain parapet containing the toilets. This has a pointed doorway in the south wall and a rectangular window in the east.
Building Fabric and Features
Cruciform Plan
Nave
20th century 5-bay aisled
Transept
20th century north
Organ (component)
20th century chamber
Transept
20th century south
Chancel
20th century 2-bay
Chapel (component)
20th century north
Baptistery
20th century west
Building Materials
Sandstone
20th century coursed ashlar
Slate
20th century Westmoreland green roof
Interior
Interior Description
The interior is plastered white above a pine panelled dado, the light interior pleasantly lit through a multitude of stained glass. The roofs are arch-braced to a barrel-vaulted ceiling, this painted turquoise blue. The aisle arcades are pointed hollow-moulded arches carried on granite columns with carved capitals, ending in heavy moulded consoles at each end. The interior is fully pewed with plain pitched pine benches, those in the transept have been cleared. The floors are carpeted throughout in blue with gold fleur-de-lys, except for the sanctuary which has an attractive mosaic floor. The choir stalls are carved with tracery and of good quality.
There is a wooden screen with tracery containing the organ in the east part of the south transept, the western part is used as a coffee/meeting space with tables. A broad moulded arch gives access to the children’s chapel in the north chapel, furnished in the 1930s. There is much useful space and clearly great potential within this immaculately kept building.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
20th century Light stained pine table. Similar in north chapel.
Reredos
20th century Carved oak reredos, panelled with tracery cornice and pinnacles.
Pulpit
20th century The pulpit is octagonal, of Caen stone with marble shafts and alabaster panels, one build with the chancel arch. Of a piece with the font, by Warley Bros of Blackburn.
Lectern
20th century Oak eagle lectern, given 1935.
Font (component)
20th century Octagonal font of Caen stone with marble shafts.
Stained Glass (window)
20th century Several windows, mostly by Shrigley & Hunt of Lancaster. • The east window has the Ascension, given in memory of Mrs Eddlestone 1924. • Children’s chapel, the Good Shepherd, the Graham family 1945. • South aisle south-east windows have Faith and Hope, in memory of Mary Cort, 1943. • North transept the Good Samaritan, in memory of Margaret Cort Duckworth, dated 1971. • North aisle has St Stephen in the act of being stoned, dated 1971.
Plaque (component)
20th century There are several brass plaques recording the donations of various items. Also large plain brass plaque inscribed with the names of the fallen in World War I.
Organ (component)
20th century Two manual pipe organ built in 1924 by Lacock & Bannister of Keighley, installed as a war memorial, the money raised by public subscription. Rebuilt by Rushworth & Dreaper 1964. Piano, Hallmann of Berlin.
Rail
20th century Oak rail with wrought iron standards and base, good.
Bells
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers date from 1892, held at County Record Office.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SD 694 291
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
Sources
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