Christ Church, Bacup
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox church | name = Christ Church, Bacup| fullname = | image = Christ Church, Bacup.jpg| imagesize = | imagealt = | caption = Christ Church, Bacup, from the southeast | pushpin map = United Kingdom Borough of Rossendale | pushpin map alt = | pushpin label position = left| pushpin mapsize = | map caption = Location in the Borough of Rossendale | location = Beech Street, Bacup, Lancashire| country = English | coordinates = {{coord|53.7068|-2.1935|region:GB_type:landmark|display=title}} | osgraw = SD 873,233 | denomination = Anglican | churchmanship = | membership = | attendance = | website = [http://www.achurchnearyou.com/bacup-christ-church/ Christ Church, Bacup] | former name = | bull date = | founded date = | founder = | dedication = | dedicated date = | consecrated date = | cult = | relics = | events = | past bishop = | people = | status = Parish church | functional status = | heritage designation = Grade II| designated date = 30 November 1984 | architect = Sharpe and Paley| architectural type = Church | style = Gothic Revival| groundbreaking = | completed date = 1854 | construction cost = Over £3,000| closed date = | demolished date = | capacity = | length = | width = | width nave = | height = | diameter = | other dimensions = | floor count = | floor area = | spire quantity = | spire height = | materials = Sandstone rubble, slate roof| parish = Christ Church, Bacup | deanery = Rossendale | archdeaconry = Bolton | diocese = Manchester| province = York | rector = | vicar = Rev D. Woodall | curate = | priest = | asstpriest = | minister = | assistant = | honpriest = | deacon = | seniorpastor = | pastor = | abbot = | chaplain = | reader = | organistdom = | director = | organist = | organscholar = | chapterclerk = | laychapter = | warden = | flowerguild = | musicgroup = | parishadmin = | serversguild = | logo = | logosize = }}
Christ Church is in Beech Street, off Todmorden Road, Bacup, Lancashire, England. It is a former Anglican parish church in the deanery of Rossendale, the archdeaconry of Bolton and the diocese of Manchester{{Citation | url = http://www.achurchnearyou.com/bacup-christ-church/ | title = Christ Church, Bacup | access-date = 27 June 2010 | publisher = Church of England | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090929042125/http://www.achurchnearyou.com/bacup-christ-church/ | archive-date = 29 September 2009 | url-status = dead }} and has been acquired by a local business to convert into Rossendale's first dedicated digital centre. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.{{NHLE |num= 1072858|desc= Christ Church, Bacup|access-date= 10 May 2011|mode=cs2}}
History
The church was built in 1854, and paid for from the legacy of a local manufacturer, James Heyworth. It was designed by the Lancaster firm of architects Sharpe and Paley. The church cost over £3,000 (equivalent to £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|3000|1854|r=-4}}}} in {{Inflation-year|UK}}),{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} and contained seating for 500 people.{{Citation | last =Hartwell| first =Clare| last2 = Pevsner | first2 = Nikolaus | author2-link =Nikolaus Pevsner| series= The Buildings of England| title =Lancashire: North | publisher =Yale University Press | year =2009 | orig-year=1969 | location = New Haven and London| page = 90| isbn = 978-0-300-12667-9}}{{Citation | last = Brandwood| first = Geoff| last2 = Austin| first2 = Tim| last3 = Hughes| first3 = John| last4 = Price| first4 = James| year = 2012| title = The Architecture of Sharpe, Paley and Austin| publication-place = Swindon| publisher = English Heritage| page = 216| isbn = 978-1-84802-049-8}} In 2012 it was decided that the church will close, and its congregation will share the premises of the Central Methodist Church.{{Citation | last = Cornall| first = Vanessa| publication-date = 30 March 2012| title = End of an era as Bacup's last Church of England church closes| periodical = Lancashire Telegraph| publisher = Newsquest (Northwest)| url = http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/rossendale/9623674.End_of_an_era_as_Bacup___s_last_Church_of_England_church_closes/| access-date =1 June 2012}} Its last service was held on 26 August 2012, and it was thereafter closed.{{cite web| url = https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/detail.php?DoveID=BACUP+CHCH| title = Tower details}}
Architecture
=Exterior=
Christ Church is constructed in sandstone rubble with a slate roof. Its architectural style is Gothic Revival. The plan consists of a southwest tower, a four-bay nave with north and south aisles, a porch, and a clerestory, and a two-bay chancel. The tower is in three stages and has diagonal buttresses rising halfway up the tower. At its southeast corner is a polygonal stair turret rising to a greater height than the tower and surmounted by a pinnacled lantern. It has a three-light west window in the lowest stage with smaller three-light windows in the middle stage on the west and south sides. The top stage contains two-light bell openings and at the top is a plain parapet. At the west end of the body of the church are triple two-light windows with a wheel window above them in the gable. At the east end is a triple lancet window.
=Interior=
Future
After 12 years of closure, the Church of England sold the building - for conversion into offices with a focus on digital businesses {{cite web|url=https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/MPCP%2820%2918%20-%20Bacup%20Christ%20Church%20Combined%20Paper.pdf|title=Bacup Christ Church Combined Paper|publisher=Church of England }} - to the owners of local digital marketing agency GrowTraffic and led by Simon Dalley.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/peter.dunn.3158652/posts/517487335843877|title=Christ Church Part 2 - GrowTraffic Now Want To Bring The Church Back Into Use As Offices|publisher=Peter Dunn, Facebook}}{{cite web|url=https://www.growtraffic.co.uk/about/|title=About GrowTraffic|publisher=Growtraffic }}
Planning permission was granted for this redevelopment in April 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-04-20 |title=Grade II listed church to be transformed into business centre |url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/23463841.plans-turn-bacup-church-new-business-centre-approved/ |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=Lancashire Telegraph |language=en}} The acquisition of the building was completed on 22 November 2024.
See also
{{portal|Lancashire}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Lancashire churches|II|state=collapsed}}
{{Borough of Rossendale buildings}}
Category:Churches completed in 1854
Category:19th-century Church of England church buildings