Lancashire’s Historic Churches

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.

Their 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. 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 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

Above: St. Peter’s Burnley

to identify the portion of the church made with stone transported from the abbey.

In the early 1970s, restoration work at St Helen’s revealed rare wall paintings which had been covered by thick plaster for centuries. The earliest image is believed to depict a 15thcentury bishop. The other images date from the 1650s and feature inspiring quotations from the King James Bible, prettily framed with flowers.

ST PETER’S, BURNLEY

Burnley’s ancient parish church on the banks of the River Brun (from which the town gets its name) is steeped in history. The oldest part of the current building is the lower tower, which dates from the 15th century. However, records show that a church has existed on the site since at least 1122 and celebrations have been held recently to mark its 900th anniversary.

As the town grew in importance, so did its parish church. Two galleries were added during the Georgian period and further alterations were made during the Victorian era at a time when Burnley was becoming the cotton-weaving capital of the world.

A medieval tombstone in the Stansfield Chapel is believed to commemorate Oliver de Stansfield, the Constable of Pontefract Castle who died in 1340. Some interesting gravestones are also to be found in the churchyard, the oldest of which dates back to 1664,

as well as some elaborate and impressive Victorian monuments commemorating the area’s most influential families of the time.

ST PETER’S, HEYSHAM

Legend has it that during the 5th century St Patrick was shipwrecked off Morecambe Bay and built a chapel on the spot where this Heysham church now stands. There is no way of substantiating this story, but what

St. Peter’s Heysham

Above: Lancaster Priory’s Historic Choir Stalls

we do know is that there has been a church on this site since at least the 8th century, making it one of the oldest places of continuous Christian worship in the whole of Europe. The oldest part of the current building predates the Norman Conquest (ie mid-11th century or earlier) and evidence of the ancient Anglo Saxon stonework is still visible in places.

St Peter’s is also home to one of the most interesting Viking tombstones in the country. The ancient hogback stone was unearthed in the churchyard during the 19th century, but was later moved inside the church to offer it greater protection from the weather and may be viewed there today. Despite its great age, the carving on the stone is remarkably well preserved and it is still possible to make out many of the ancient Viking markings.

The churchyard is full of fascinating old gravestones, but my favourite inscription dates from the early 20th century which includes the unflattering description, “Poet, Philosopher and Failure”. If all this fascinating history is not enough, the church is situated in an idyllic and peaceful spot on the cliffs overlooking Morecambe Bay, making it the perfect place to sit and ponder for a while.

LANCASTER PRIORY CHURCH OF ST MARY

The Priory Church is situated at the top of Castle Hill next to Lancaster Castle. Evidence of Roman fortifications have been discovered nearby and it is believed that the history of the site may date all the way back to the 2nd century AD. This location was first used for Christian worship by the Anglo Saxons possibly as early as the 6th century. Following the Norman Conquest, an ally of William the Conqueror named Roger of Poitou founded a Benedictine Priory there. Following the dissolution of the monasteries in the late 1530s, the priory became the parish church.

Most of the present church dates to medieval times. The Priory’s carved oak choir stalls, dating from around 1340, are amongst the oldest in the country. They have been described by several architectural historians, including the noted Victorian art critic John Ruskin and the 20th-century’s Nikolaus Pevsner, as the finest in England.

As well as offering spectacular views of the city of Lancaster and the surrounding countryside, the churchyard contains several interesting features of its own. The late 18th-century sandstone sundial is Grade-II listed, as is the imposing Rawlinson memorial which dates from the same period.

ST WILFRID’S, RIBCHESTER

The area around the Lancashire village of Ribchester has been occupied since Roman times when it was known as Bremetenaccum. The current parish church of St Wilfrid’s is believed

to have been constructed on the site of the former Roman fort during medieval times, but evidence has been unearthed which suggests that there may well have been an earlier Christian building at the same location. Some of the stones from the Roman fort were repurposed for use in the construction of the church.

The church was extended in the 1300s with the addition of two chantry chapels. A common feature in churches across the country, chantry chapels were usually funded by local wealthy landowners to provide a dedicated area within the local parish church where special prayers could be said for the souls of their dearly departed. The chantry chapel at the north end of St Wilfrid’s, now known as the Dutton Choir, features the remains of a rare medieval wall Above: All Hallows, Great Mitton painting which depicts St Christopher carrying Jesus.

St Wilfrid’s churchyard is home to another interesting Grade II-listed sandstone sundial. Dating from the 17th-century, its inscription includes an ominous warning, “I am a shadow – so art thou – I mark time – dost thou?”.

ALL HALLOWS, GREAT MITTON Like many of the churches on this list, All Hallows Church in the Ribble Valley village of Great Mitton is a Grade-1 listed building, reflecting its historical and cultural importance. Historical records suggest that there has been a building on the site since the early 1100s, but the oldest part of the stone church still standing today dates from about 1270.

All Hallows is famous today for the remarkable collection of effigy tombs which are located within the church’s Shireburne Chapel. Situated to the left of the altar and divided from the main body of the church by a fine Elizabethan screen, the chapel was added to the church in 1594. It was intended as the final resting place for members of the influential Shireburne family, who then occupied nearby Stonyhurst Hall (now Stonyhurst College).

Sir Richard and his wife, Maud, were the first family members to be laid to rest there in a resplendent alabaster chest tomb which bears their effigies. The chapel contains similarly grand tombs and memorials of successive generations of the family dating up to the early years of the 18th-century. It is highly unusual to see so many fine tombs and memorial statues commemorating a single family collected in one parish church, which is just one reason why All Halllows often features on lists of the most interesting churches to visit in the UK.

ST MARY’S, NEWCHURCH-INPENDLE

St Mary’s Church in NewchurchIn-Pendle is steeped in history and attracts many curious visitors each year because of the village’s association with the Pendle Witches.

Above: St Michael’s, Bracewell - Philip Platt/CC BY-SA 2.0

built on the site way back in 1250. Records show that a later chapel was constructed in 1544 and part of the tower of that 16th-century building has survived to this day. The current church was constructed in the mid-18th century. One particularly interesting feature is the “Eye of God”, an eyeshaped carving in the stonework of the tower which was allegedly installed there to ward off evil spirits.

Alice Nutter, who, in 1612, was one of the women accused of witchcraft and subsequently hanged, lived locally and several graves of the Nutter family from the later 17th-century are to be found in the churchyard. Legend has it that Alice was herself secretly interred there in what has become known as the “Witches’ Grave”, but no evidence has ever been found to substantiate this claim.

ST MICHAEL’S, BRACEWELL

The beautiful ancient Norman church of St Michael’s, in the small village of Bracewell, just north of Barnoldswick, started life as a private chapel for the influential Tempest family who owned much of the land locally. Records show, however, that it was in use as the parish church by about 1153.

Evidence of this early Norman structure remains to this day, but most of the present church dates from around the 15th century. The church is notable for the pews in its nave which were made by the famous early 20th-century wood carver, Robert “Mouseman” Thompson of Kilburn. St Bartholomew’s, Chipping

Above: St Oswald’s, Warton

His trademark mouse motif can be found on some of them.

ST BARTHOLOMEW’S, CHIPPING

St Bartholomew’s Church at Chipping, a picturesque village in the Forest of Bowland, has its origins in the early medieval period, but was substantially rebuilt in the 1500s. When further restoration work took place in 1873, an ancient Saxon stone was discovered which is still on display at the church. It was probably intended originally for use as a font, but may have also been used as a plague stone. This represents a place where plague victims could leave coins in return for food. Vinegar was placed in the hollow of the stone which enabled the coins to be disinfected.

The stunning 20th-century stained glass window in the Memorial Chapel commemorates the village’s long association with the chairmaking industry.

ST OSWALD’S, WARTON

The oldest part of the pretty parish church in the North Lancashire village of Warton, near Carnforth, dates to the early 14th century. However, its dedication to St Oswald, a 7thcentury Christian martyr and King of Northumbria, suggests that there may have been a church on the site since Anglo-Saxon times.

The village of Warton is best known for its association with the Washington family, whose descendant, George Washington, became, in 1789, the first US President. A worn stone, which was originally situated on the outer wall of the church tower, depicts the Washington family’s coat-of-arms (three stars above two stripes). This is said to have inspired the design of the American flag. To prevent further erosion from the elements, the stone was moved to the tower wall on the inside of the church in the mid-20th century and may still be viewed there. On 4th July each year, a Star & Stripes flag is flown from the flagpole of St Oswald’s church tower in celebration of US Independence Day and Warton’s connection with America’s first President. 