Ten Historic Lancashire Churches By Margaret Brecknell
Above: St Helen’s Churchtown The county’s historic churches come in all sizes and were constructed in a wide variety of different architectural styles, reflecting the era in which they were built.
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heir tombs and monuments commemorate once influential figures in the local community, often otherwise long forgotten. Some churches contain priceless treasures, whilst others are loved for their idyllic locations. Each has its own unique charm and reason to visit, but here are ten of my personal favourites.
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ST HELEN’S, CHURCHTOWN Known as the “Cathedral of the Fylde”, first-time visitors to the small village of Churchtown, near Garstang, may be surprised to discover such an impressive church there, but the site on which it was built has a long and interesting history. The oval-shaped churchyard, complete with yew trees, indicates that a Druid temple may well have originally occupied the spot before the first Christian church was built there sometime soon after the Norman Conquest. St Helen’s probably started life as a small chapel, but, as the then
LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE
parish church for Garstang and the surrounding area, it was gradually extended to accommodate an everexpanding congregation. The oldest part of today’s church dates back to the late 12th century. The monks of nearby Cockersand Abbey owned St Helen’s Church from around 1240 until the country’s monasteries were dissolved by King Henry VIII in the 1530s. Cockersand Abbey, in common with so many others, was vandalised beyond repair, but some of its stonework was brought to St Helen’s and used to construct a new vestry. It is still possible today www.lancmag.com
