St John the Baptist's Church, Bretherton

{{Infobox church | name = St John the Baptist's Church, Bretherton| fullname = | image = St John's Church, Bretherton.jpg| imagesize = | caption = St John the Baptist's Church, Bretherton, from the south | pushpin map = United Kingdom Borough of Chorley | pushpin map alt = | pushpin mapsize = | pushpin label position = | map caption = Location in the Borough of Chorley | location = Bretherton, Lancashire| country = England | coordinates = {{coord|53.6777|-2.7951|region:GB_type:landmark|display= title}} | osgraw = SD 476,204| denomination = Anglican | churchmanship = | membership = | attendance = | website = [http://www.achurchnearyou.com/bretherton-st-john-the-baptist/ St John the Baptist, Bretherton] | former name = | bull date = | founded date = 1839| founder = | dedication = St John the Baptist| dedicated date = | consecrated date = July 1840| cult = | relics = | events = | past bishop = | people = | status = Parish church| functional status = Active| heritage designation = Grade II | designated date = 30 January 1987 | architect = Edmund Sharpe
Austin and Paley | architectural type = Church | style = Gothic Revival| groundbreaking = 1839 | completed date = 1909 | construction cost = £1,058 (£{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|1058|1840|r=-4}}}} in {{Inflation-year|UK}})| closed date = | demolished date = | capacity = | length = | width = | width nave = | height = | diameter = | other dimensions = | floor count = | floor area = | spire quantity = | spire height = | materials = Sandstone, slate roofs| parish = Bretherton| deanery = Chorley| archdeaconry = Blackburn | diocese = Blackburn| province = York| rector = Revd D. J. Reynolds | vicar = | curate = | priest = | asstpriest = | minister = | assistant = | honpriest = | deacon = | seniorpastor = | pastor = | abbot = | chaplain = | reader = Miss J. Maggs, Stanley Hazlewood| organistdom = | director = | organist = Mrs Lesley Moulton| organscholar = | chapterclerk = | laychapter = | warden = John Hart, Sheila Williams| flowerguild = | musicgroup = | parishadmin = | serversguild = | logo = | logosize = }}

St John the Baptist's Church is in the village of Bretherton, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Chorley, the archdeaconry of Blackburn and the diocese of Blackburn. Its benefice is united with that of St Michael and All Angels, Croston.{{Citation | url = http://www.achurchnearyou.com/bretherton-st-john-the-baptist/| title = St John the Baptist, Bretherton| access-date = 27 July 2011| publisher = Church of England}} The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.{{NHLE |num= 1362115|desc= Church of St John the Evangelist, Bretherton|access-date= 27 May 2012|mode=cs2}} It was a Commissioners' church, having received a grant towards its construction from the Church Building Commission.{{sfnp|Brandwood|Austin|Hughes|Price|2012|p=211|ps=}}

History

St John's was a Commissioners' church costing £1,058 (equivalent to £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|1058|1840|r=-4}}}} in {{Inflation-year|UK}}).{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y|mode=cs2}} The Church Building Commission contributed £250 towards its cost.{{sfnp|Brandwood|Austin|Hughes|Price|2012|p=211|ps=}} It was designed by the Lancaster architect Edmund Sharpe and built in 1839–40.{{sfnp|Hughes|2010|p=138|ps=}} The land was given by George Anthony Legh Keck. The church provided seating for 400 people.{{sfnp|Brandwood|Austin|Hughes|Price|2012|p=211|ps=}} In July 1840 it was consecrated by Rt Revd John Bird Sumner, at that time the Bishop of Chester.{{sfnp|Hughes|2010|p=138|ps=}} The church was restored in 1898 by Sharpe's successors Austin and Paley,{{sfnp|Brandwood|Austin|Hughes|Price|2012|p=242|ps=}} who also added a chancel and vestry in 1908–09.{{sfnp|Brandwood|Austin|Hughes|Price|2012|p=247|ps=}} In September 2009 the church was damaged by fire caused by an arsonist.{{Citation | last = Johnson| first = Mark| date = 1 October 2009| title = Yobs destroy pulpit at John the Baptist Church in Bretherton and St Michael's CE Church in Much Hoole | periodical = Ormskirk Advertiser | publication-place = Ormskirk | url = http://www.osadvertiser.co.uk/news/ormskirk-news/2009/10/01/yobs-destroy-pulpit-at-john-the-baptist-church-in-bretherton-and-st-michael-s-ce-church-in-much-hoole-80904-24819930/| access-date =3 April 2010}}

Architecture

The church is constructed in sandstone with slate roofs. Its plan consists of a five-bay nave incorporating a south porch, and a two-bay chancel under a higher roof. The style of the nave is "simple Gothic", while that of the chancel is Perpendicular. At the west end is a slender tower, the lowest stage of which constitutes a porch that is open on three sides. Above this are three string courses, the top one of which is stepped over the bell opening. At the corners are buttresses that rise to form crocketted pinnacles. At the top of the tower between the pinnacles is a stepped parapet. A slim octagonal spire rises from the tower. The porch has an arched doorway over which is a lancet window. Its top is gabled and has a cross finial. The east window has five lights and Perpendicular tracery. Inside the church is a west gallery supported on four slim iron columns. The two-manual organ was built by Ainscough Organ Builders of Preston in 1929, and rebuilt and extended by David Wells of Liverpool in 2000.{{Citation | url = http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=K00908 | title = Lancashire, Bretherton – St. John the Baptist| access-date = 3 April 2010 | publisher = British Institute of Organ Studies}}

External features

The churchyard contains the war grave of a Loyal Regiment soldier of World War I.{{Citation | url = http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2111865/BRETHERTON%20%28ST.%20JOHN%20THE%20BAPTIST%29%20CHURCHYARD| title = BRETHERTON (ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST) CHURCHYARD| access-date =13 February 2013| publisher = Commonwealth War Graves Commission}}

The graves of Sir Harcourt Clare and his family are in the church yard.

File:Harcourt Family Head Stones.JPG

Gallery

File:St John the Baptist, Bretherton, Interior - geograph.org.uk - 1374269.jpg|Interior – view towards altar

File:St John the Baptist, Bretherton, Interior - geograph.org.uk - 1374627.jpg|Interior – view towards rear

File:St John the Baptist, Bretherton, Font - geograph.org.uk - 1374278.jpg|The font

File:St John the Baptist, Bretherton, Clock - geograph.org.uk - 1374262.jpg|Clock

File:St John the Baptist, Bretherton, Stained glass window - geograph.org.uk - 1374631.jpg|Stained glass window

File:St John the Baptist, Bretherton, Organ - geograph.org.uk - 1374605.jpg|The organ

References

Citations

Sources

{{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| isbn = 978-1-84802-049-8}}
{{Citation | last = Hughes| first = John M.| year = 2010| title = Edmund Sharpe: Man of Lancaster| publisher = John M. Hughes}}

Category:Church of England church buildings in Lancashire

Category:Grade II listed churches in Lancashire

Category:Gothic Revival church buildings in England

Category:Gothic Revival architecture in Lancashire

Category:Churches completed in 1909

Category:19th-century Church of England church buildings

Category:Diocese of Blackburn

Category:Edmund Sharpe buildings

Category:Austin and Paley buildings

Category:Commissioners' church buildings

John, Bretherton

Category:Religious buildings and structures in the United Kingdom destroyed by arson