Church of St John the Evangelist, Addison Street, Accrington

ACCRINGTON - The new church of St. John here has been opened by licence for divine service. This church was originally planned to occupy the south-west corner of the plot upon which it now stands, leaving space on the side next the railway for the erection of a school at a future time; but in consequence of another plot being promised for the schools by Mr. Peel, the church was placed in the centre of the plot, and the late Rev. G. Garbett and the committee approving of the arrangement of the plan as then designed, little or no alterations were made. It consists of a nave 92 ft. in length, and 40 ft. wide in one span, the object being to avoid the obstruction of columns as much as possible, and the usual objections to a wide single span roof: a simple arrangement of the roof timbers admits of lightness in appearance, combined with strength. The wood is stained and varnished, and the space between the spars coloured blue. There are two transepts, each 26 ft. wide and 21 ft. deep, separated from the nave by stone arches in a single span, springing from the caps of half circular columns on each side. On the north side of the nave is a porch, and at the south-west corner is a baptistery in the lower part of the tower, and having arched openings into both the nave and side aisle. There is one side-aisle occupying the space between the tower and south transept, 39 ft., 4 in. long by 12 ft. in width, and separated from the nave by an arcade of three equilateral arches. The chancel, which is approached in the centre by two steps from the nave, is 29 ft. long by 19 ft. wide, having on the north side the vestry, and on the south the organ chamber, which is open by arches both to the nave and chancel. The lower portion of the reredos has four buttresses, having the three spaces between filled with moulded stone panels, laid with encaustic tiles, and the upper part is divided into three arched panels (intended by the architect to be filled with marble Mosaic) by green marble short columns, having carved caps and moulded bases, with bands of white marble, the whole supporting a moulded cornice at the level of the window sill, and having the spandrels of panels filled with tiles. The east window has three lights, with cusped opening in the head above, enclosed within an arch, over which, in illuminated letters, on a coloured baud, is the text, " Holy, holy, holy. Lord God of Hosts.” The window is a memorial one, in stained glass, to the late Rev. G. Garbett, the centre light having, under an ornamental canopy, a figure of Christ, and under similar canopies on one side are figures of the Virgin Mary and St. Peter, and on the other St. John the Evangelist and St. Joseph, with the emblems of each underneath. Externally, the church is of plain and simple detail, nearly all label moulds and other moulded work having been objected to at the commencement of the work, as likely to add unnecessarily to the expense. The general architectural effect of the building was therefore sought to be obtained from the arrangement of the plan, so that the church, approached from Burnley-road or from Dowry-street, should present a well-grouped effect, and give a broken and picturesque outline. The belfry has coupled arches on all sides, filled in with slate louvres, ornamentally out on the outer edges. Above this the tower has a cornice, surmounted at the angles with pinnacles, taking the form in the lower part of circular stone columns, with caps and bases. From here the spire rises in an octagon form, having plain bands of stone at intervals 5 this method of breaking up the plain surfaces of walling being adopted throughout the exterior, together with the arches over the windows, etc., being composed of alternate plain and pitch-faced stones. The roof is covered with alternate bands of cut and plain slating, in two colours. The ordinary leaded windows with small panes are superseded in this church, by the architect having introduced zinc frames, forming a network of geometrical tracery, the bars being nearly as light in appearance as lead-lights, bub much stronger, and requiring no saddle-bars to interfere with the design, and having the further advantage of being able to be glazed like au ordinary window-frame. The whole are glazed with 3-inch plain rolled plate, -translucent, but not transparent. The whole of the internal fittings aro of varnished pitched pine, from the architect’s designs. The heating is by water circulating in square pipes, which run round and are level with the raised floors of the open benches; the boiler, etc., being placed under the floor of the baptistery, with an approach from the outside. The lighting of the nave and transepts is by brass standards of nine burners each, the chancel by two corona standards and two brackets, and the side aisle and remainder of the interior by wall brackets. The masons’ work was executed by Mr. John Riley; the joiners’ work by Mr. William Roberts; the slating and tiling by Mr. Richard Holden. Mr. Henry Macaulay, of Accrington, was the architect. [Builder 21 November 1868 page 866]

Reference        Builder 21 November 1868 page 866
Reference        Buildings of England Lancashire North page 77-78