St John’s Church, Blackpool

See also details of failed scheme won by John Ladds in competition

ST JOHN'S CHURCH, BLACKPOOL - To Builders and Contractors. Persons desirous of Tendering for the Erection of the New Church of St John's at Blackpool, may see the plans, specifications etc, and obtain bills of quantities from the undersigned on or after Monday 8 January. Sealed tenders addressed to the Rev N S Jeffrey, and endorsed "Tender: St John's Church, Blackpool," must be delivered to the office of the Architects, 6A Talbot Square, Blackpool, not later than 10 am on Thursday the 18th day of January 1877. The lowest or any tender will not necessarily be accepted. Garlick Parks and Sykes, Architects, 6A Talbot Square, Blackpool, and 33 Winckley Square, Preston. [Fleetwood Gazette 5 January 1877 page 4]. 

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, BLACKPOOL - The Church of St. John's having been found too small for the congregation assembling therein for divine worship, it has been very wisely resolved to rebuild it. The new edifice is to be more pretentious than the present one, and it will meet a necessity long been felt. For some time the scheme has occupied the attention of the vicar and a number of friends, but now it has taken a practical turn. The tenders having been let, the work will soon be commenced, and Blackpool will have an edifice well worthy of the town. The structure will consist of a nave 93 feet 3 inches by 36 feet; north and south aisles 63 feet by 19 feet 6 inches; north and south transepts 26 feet by 23 feet; chancel 30 feet by 25 feet; vestry and organ chamber. The height of the nave is 35 feet to the wall plate and 60 feet to the apex of the roof. The chancel is 30 feet high to the wall plate and 51 feet 6 inches to the ridge of the roof; the transepts 35 feet to the wall plate and 54 feet to the ridge of the roof. The tower is to be at the south-west angle, 14 feet square internally and 139 feet in height from the ground line to the apex of the pinnacles. The principal entrance will be through the tower. It is proposed to heat the church with hot water, the heating apparatus being placed in the basement at the west end. The materials used are to be brick - patent pressed brick being used for the facings, with Longridge stone dressings for the columns, caps and bases to nave. The arcades are to be of Bath stone; the walls will be plastered internally; the roof boarded on the underside; the nave transepts, and chancel roofs being of the form known as "waggon head." Particular attention will be paid to the ventilation. The church will accommodate 1,300 persons, the seats being open benches of deal, stained and varnished. The structure is plain and substantial throughout, useless and superfluous ornament being excluded altogether, the architects relying on the boldness and proportion of its several parts for effect. Several tenders were received, the lowest that of Mr William Gradwell of Barrow-in-Furness was accepted, the amount being £9,385. The architects are Messrs Garlick Park and Sykes of Preston and Blackpool.  [Fleetwood Chronicle 26 January 1877 page 5]

OPENING OF A NEW CHURCH AT BLACKPOOL BY THE BISHOP or MANCHESTER - The opening services at St. John's Church, Blackpool, were held on Tuesday, and sermons were preached by the Bishop of Manchester and the Rev. Canon Falloon, M.A., rector of Ackworth. The work of building the sacred edifice only commenced about a year ago, but it was pushed on with wonderful vigour, and a handsome and commodious church has now been provided. The foundation stone was laid on the 11th July last, by the Mayor of Blackpool (W. H. Cocker, Esq.), and at that time as much as £4,200 had been raised towards the cost of work. Since then that sum has been made up to about £8,000, but a debt of £4,000 still remains. The architects, we may add, have been Messrs. Garlick, Park, and Sykes of Preston, and the contractor, W. Gradwell, of Barrow-in-Furness. [Preston Chronicle and Lancashire Advertiser 29 June 1878 page 6]

CONSECRATION OF BLACKPOOL NEW PARISH CHURCH - The Bishop of Manchester yesterday consecrated St John's new parish church, Blackpool in the presence of a large congregation. The new church is a commodious structure, capable of holding 1,200 persons, and has been erected on the site of the old parish church at a cost of about £12,000. Of this sum about two-thirds have already been raised. The foundation stone of the church was laid in July of last year by the then mayor of the borough (Alderman Cocker). It is built of Longridge stone, and presents a very fine appearance. The church consists of a nave, north and south transepts; north and south aisles and a chancel. The nave is 60 feet in height to the apex of the roof; the chancel 51 feet 6 inches to the ridge of the roof and the transepts 54 feet. At the south-west angle of the Church a tower 14 feet square internally, rises to a height of 139 feet, and is capped with four turrets. It is intended shortly to add a peal of bells, which are ready for hanging. The furniture of the church is pitch pine varnished. [Manchester Courier Wednesday 26 June 1878 page 6]

Reference        Preston Herald 23 December 1876 page 8 – contracts
Reference        Preston Herald 30 December 1876 page 8 – contracts
Reference        Fleetwood Gazette 5 January 1877 page 4 – contracts
Reference        Fleetwood Chronicle 26 January 1877 page 5
Reference        Preston Chronicle and Lancashire Advertiser 29 June 1878 page 6]
Reference        Manchester Courier Wednesday 26 June 1878 page 6
Reference        Lancaster Gazette 29 June 1878