St Matthew's Church, Burnley

St Matthew's was designed by William Waddington and Sons,{{sfn|Hartwell|Pevsner|2009|p=189|ps=}} and built between 1876 and 1879. The Lancaster firm of architects Paley and Austin had taken part in the competition for the design, but had been unsuccessful.{{sfnp|Brandwood|Austin|Hughes|Price|2012|p=229|ps=}} Miss Halsted of Hood House laid the foundation stone on 7 October 1876. The church was consecrated on 1 November 1879 by the Bishop of Manchester. It contained stained glass windows designed by Kempe and Burne-Jones.

Vestments, lighted candles and birettas, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, were used until the 1880s, but caused disquiet in the diocese. The Bishop of Manchester refused to allow the parish to have an assistant curate until the incumbent had made assurances about the church's position. The use of two altar candles and an adherence to Anglican liturgy is still reflected in the worship at the church.

In 1924 electric lighting was installed. On Christmas Day 1927 the church was destroyed by fire caused by the electrics, leaving only the walls standing; it was rebuilt between 1929 and 1931 supervised by Henry Paley of Austin and Paley, the successor in the Lancaster practice. The work cost £14,093 and provided seating for 620 people.{{sfnp|Brandwood|Austin|Hughes|Price|2012|p=252}} The rebuilt church was opened by the Bishop of Blackburn. The longest serving vicar of the church was Revd F. Jones who served between 1923 and 1945. In the 1970s St Matthew's integrated with Holy Trinity Church.{{Citation | url = http://www.stmatthewsburnley.co.uk/history-of-st-matthew-s-and-holy-trinity| title = History of St Matthew's and Holy Trinity| access-date = 29 August 2012| publisher = St Matthew with Holy Trinity Habergham Eaves Church}}

The church is designed in the style of the 13th century, with a turret at the southwest corner. The stained glass includes a window dating from 1951 by Harry Stammers.{{sfn|Hartwell|Pevsner|2009|p=189|ps=}} There are also two windows by Henry Harvey.{{Citation | url = http://www.stmatthewsburnley.co.uk/henry-harvey-wind| title = Henry Harvey Windows | access-date = 26 January 2015| publisher = St Matthew with Holy Trinity Habergham Eaves Church}} The original pipe organ of 1880, designed by Jardine of Manchester was destroyed in the fire.{{Citation | url = http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=P00526| title = Lancashire, Burnley, St. Matthew, St. Matthew's Street (P00526)| access-date = 29 August 2012| publisher = British Institute of Organ Studies}} It was replaced by a three-manual organ which had been built in 1920 for a church in Farnworth by Alexander Young, also of Manchester. This was moved to Burnley and rebuilt in St Matthew's in 1933 by Laycock and Bannister of Cross Hills.{{Citation | url = http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=S00054| title = Lancashire, Burnley, St. Matthew, St. Matthew's Street (S00054)| access-date = 29 August 2012| publisher = British Institute of Organ Studies}}

St Matthew's is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Burnley, the archdeaconry of Blackburn, and the diocese of Blackburn. Its benefice has been combined with that of Holy Trinity, Burnley forming the benefice of Burnley (Habergham Eaves) St Matthew with Holy Trinity.{{Citation | url = http://www.achurchnearyou.com/burnley-habergham-eaves-st-matthew-the-apostle/| title = St Matthew The Apostle, Habergham Eaves| access-date = 29 August 2012| publisher = Church of England}} It holds services on Sundays,{{Citation | url = http://www.stmatthewsburnley.co.uk/about-us| title = About us | access-date = 26 January 2015| publisher = St Matthew with Holy Trinity Habergham Eaves Church}} and during the week.{{Citation | url = http://www.stmatthewsburnley.co.uk/service-times| title = Service times | access-date = 26 January 2015| publisher = St Matthew with Holy Trinity Habergham Eaves Church}} Associated with the church are groups of Scouts, Guides,{{Citation | url = http://www.stmatthewsburnley.co.uk/uniformed-organisations| title = Uniformed organisations | access-date = 26 January 2015| publisher = St Matthew with Holy Trinity Habergham Eaves Church}} and the Mothers' Union.{{Citation | url = http://www.stmatthewsburnley.co.uk/mother-s-union| title = Mothers Union | access-date = 26 January 2015| publisher = St Matthew with Holy Trinity Habergham Eaves Church}}

{{portal|Lancashire}}

• List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1916–44)
• Places of worship in Burnley

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Citations

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Sources

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• {{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 =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| isbn = 978-0-300-12667-9}}

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• [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/HaberghamEaves/StMatthewtheApostle.shtml St Matthew the Apostle, Habergham – Church of England at genuki]
• [http://www.briercliffesociety.co.uk/Photo%20Archive/Religious%20Buildings/St%20Matthews%20Church.htm Image of St Matthew's Church, when burned down, 1927]
• [http://Www.stmatthewsburnley.com Www.stmatthewsburnley.com]

{{Borough of Burnley buildings}}

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Category:Church of England church buildings in Lancashire

Category:Diocese of Blackburn

Category:Austin and Paley buildings

Category:Gothic Revival church buildings in England

Category:Gothic Revival architecture in Lancashire

Category:Churches completed in 1931

Matthew's, Burnley

Category:Anglo-Catholic church buildings in Lancashire

Category:1931 establishments in England