Weight: 560 lbs Diameter: 28.5" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by Phoenix Foundry 1873
Dove Bell ID: 56824 Tower ID: 21679 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Little Marsden: St Paul
Diocese of Blackburn
Church, 603144
https://www.nelsonlittlemarsden.org/Overview
Grid reference: SD 858 369
Built in 1809 with galleries, organ chamber, sanctuary and tower added incrementally after 1864. Work in 1930s. Recently refurbished. The church sits at the historic heart of its locality.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Nave with south porch (with tower and short spire) and north organ chamber. Shallow east chancel with north vestry.
Footprint of Church buildings: 267 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
There are no recorded prehistoric or Roman finds in Nelson, of which Little Marsden is now a part. The Nelson historic town assessment provides a history of the area. It explains that local place names suggest Anglo-Saxon settlement, although the earliest documentary evidence dates to the 12th century. At this time the two townships of Great and Little Marsden were in existence and were divided across two manors within the parish of Whalley. The name ‘Nelson’ was not used until the mid-19th century. The name was introduced by the East Lancashire Railway Company which opened a station at Hibson in 1849, after the Lord Nelson Inn, a local landmark.
By the medieval period the area was characterised by farming with some small-scale coal mining and, from the 14th century, some cloth manufacture. Common land was enclosed in the first half of the 17th century. Muslin manufacturing had been introduced by 1750. Spinning mills were built in the 18th century. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal opened in 1776, and turnpike roads in the late 18th century, both stimulating further growth of the cloth industry. The population of Nelson and its environs grew exponentially in the second half of the 19th century, and again following the arrival of the railway in 1849. Housing and mills also grew in number.
Little Marsden was once a separate village. The church, St Paul, stands at the centre of the historic settlement, the oldest surviving area around Nelson. It is surrounded by two-storey early 19th century stone houses with 18th century Grade II listed cottages to the west and an 18th century Grade II listed Chapel House farmhouse to the north. A set of 18th century stocks lies to the south of the church and are Grade II listed. To the south-west, the inn was in existence in 1772, though the current building is later. To the north-west, Church of England primary school was established as St Paul’s National School in 1834. The school retains its 19th century building but has grown with the addition of prefab extensions.
Victoria County History records that a small chapel stood on the site of St Paul’s before the Reformation and that a chalice was seized in 1547. The Nelson town assessment explains that St Paul’s was a chantry chapel, possibly of Whalley Abbey, and attributes it to the early 16th century. Chapel House, thought to date from the same time as the chapel and to have housed the chantry priest, was demolished in 1970 and its site has become part of the churchyard – a stone cross was recorded within its grounds. The chapel was pulled down and rebuilt in 1809 haven fallen into a poor state. It remained the only Anglican place of worship in Nelson until the mid-19th century.
Alterations were made from 1864 onwards. It seems a tower was added and galleries installed in 1864, with chancel and vestry by 1871. Spire possibly added 1874-5 and door moved from west end to south side. Poppyhead choir stalls 1882. Organ relocated from west gallery c.1892 (shortened galleries?) and east window installed.
A district was assigned to it in 1877. Parish combined with St Mary in 1999.
The archaeological potential of the site is moderate there having been an earlier church on the site, and this having been the historic centre of Little Marsden. There are no known designations relating to the ecology of the plot, though it contains mature trees.
Exterior Description
The church has a simple rectangular plan with tall plain stone elevations and a shallow, gabled roof (stone cross finials to east and west gables) to which several blocky attachments have been added. These are a three-stage south tower with porch at ground level, a low, shallow, gabled chancel to the east with a small gabled vestry attached to its north, as well as a tall north organ chamber (its roofline continues inline with the north roofslope). Cast iron gutters remain in place beneath stone dentilled eaves. Some of the windows (those to south and east) have polycarbonate panels, those without have internal condensation.
The tower has emphasised quoins to the corners and a two-light window above the ground level roll-moulded doorway. A blank roundel on the south side sits beneath louvred openings with hoodmoulds on each facet of the tower. At the upper most level is a zig-zag frieze just beneath the pyramidal turret.
The south elevation has two tiers of two-light Y-tracery pointed windows with square imposts and contrasting stone surrounds. A continuous sill runs beneath the upper tier of windows. The west wall is a virtually solid surface of stone with two two-light windows low in the wall and a small light high up. Evidence in the stonework indicates the location of an original west door. There are quoins to the south-west corner but not the north-west. On the north side long two-light windows span the ground and gallery floors. Towards the east end projects the tall blank stone wall of the organ chamber. At the east end, the small chancel has a three-light intersecting window. Different stonework beneath the window suggests it was once longer. The vestry, to the north side, has a pointed door with three steps up to it and pointed windows to either side.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
19th century
Porch
19th century
Tower (component)
19th century later addition above porch
Spire
19th century later addition to tower
Chancel
19th century shallow east
Vestry
19th century north
Building Materials
Stone
19th century ashlar
Slate
19th century roof tiles
Interior
Interior Description
Level access to the interior is provided through the porch in the base of the south tower. The inside space has a wooden roof and there is a metal outer gate. The interior door has a woodgrain effect. There are stairs just inside the interior set of doors leading up to the gallery.
The nave is a light (most of the windows are glazed with clear rectangular leaded panes), white-painted, five-bay space with galleries on three sides holding three rows of tiered seating. The panelled galleries are supported on iron columns with foliate capitals. The seating in the nave is of fixed wood pews painted with a grained effect placed on slightly raised boarded platforms. The walls are panelled to the height of the pew-backs. An iron grate stretches along the central aisle with carpet either side and across the chancel floors (unsure of surface beneath). The ceiling is formed of lath and plaster with queen-post trusses with simple pendants. Flood-lights are fixed to the trusses. Walls are of wood panel and lime plaster.
The windows in the upper level have hoodmoulds to them. There is an upper room within the tower accessed from the gallery, and in the wall above its door is the hoodmould to a removed window (before the tower was built).
There is a slight step in the floor at the west end beneath the gallery where the font is located. The north-west corner has been partially cleared to accommodate a children’s play area and there is a storage room in the south-west corner beneath the stairs. The underside of the galleries are pitched with lights fixed to them.
The easternmost bay, before the chancel, is raised by a single step. It has the organ recessed behind an arch to the north and choir stalls with poppyheads facing each other to north and south. Through a low pointed chancel arch with hoodmould and floriated stops, is the small sanctuary. The altar and communion rails are raised by a step. The vestry is accessed through a doorway to the north side. A WC is positioned off the vestry.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
20th century Oak table with three-sectioned panelled front, raised central cross, c.1930.
Reredos
19th century Either side of a modern 1960s painted board are traceried painted and gilded niches, c.1864. The four are each fitted with a removable, ornate tapestry panel designed by Guy Barton in 1976 and embroidered by Elsie Davison. Hidden behind them are four oil painted panels depicting St Peter, St Paul and two angels, signed Watson Bolton 1895 (?) and inscribed in memory of the priest of St John the Evangelist, d.1891, and given by Henry J Stephens vicar of this parish.
Lectern
20th century plain oak, modern
Font (component)
19th century Hexagonal stone font on main shaft and four smaller shafts, with flat wood cover at west end. Recorded as a gift of the Revd Molineux Jackson, vicar 1852-64.
Rail
20th century Traceried oak, gift of Mothers’ Union, 1928.
Stained Glass
19th / 20th century • West: – (L) Outpouring of the Spirit, in memory of James and Catherine Howarth, 1964 by Harry Stammers 1966 signed with wheel symbol; – (R) Growth in the Spirit, in memory of Alan Elliot d.1960, by Harry Harvey, 1969. • East: – Crucifixion, in memory of Horatio Bentley, vicar of this parish, d.1891. Speculatively attributed to A L Moore by Dr Moat. • South: – (L) St Mark and St Luke, in loving memory of George L (?), d.1901. Speculatively attributed to Curtis, Ward & Hughes or Percy Bacon Bros, by Dr Moat; – (R) Dorcas, Acts Chapter IX v 36-43, in memory of Elizabeth Edmondson, 1875-1947, by Shrigley and Hunt of Lancaster, 1949.
Organ (component)
20th century The church has had three organs since it was constructed in 1809 and was once positioned at the west end. The current organ in the north transept is a three manual, built in 1900 by Peter Conacher, Huddersfield.
Triptych (religious)
20th century 1 WWI bronze triptych with saluting officer in central panel, signed by H B Sale Ltd B’ham
Bells
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers: Baptisms from 1813; Marriages from 1839; Burials from 1813. All at County Records Office.
Bishops’ chair – carved wood with tapestry upholstery by Barton and Davison in keeping with the reredos
Churchyard
Grid reference: SD 858 369
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.
The churchyard has war graves.
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
Showing 8 entries of 8 View All
Submit a change
If you notice something incorrect or missing, please explain it in the form below and submit it to our team for review.