St Andrew's Church, Leyland
Encyclopedia
St Andrew's Church is an Anglican
church in Leyland
, Lancashire
, England. It is an active parish church
in the Diocese of Blackburn
and the archdeaconry of Blackburn. The church has been designated a Grade II* listed building by English Heritage.
s of Leyland, Euxton
, Cuerden
, Clayton-le-Woods
, Whittle-le-Woods
, Hoghton
, Withnell
, Wheelton
, and Heapey
. There was likely a Norman
church on the site of the present structure. In the 12th century, Warine Bussel, baron of Penwortham
, gave the church to Evesham Abbey
in Worcestershire
. From the 14th century, vicars were appointed to Leyland church by the abbey. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in the 16th century, the advowson
for the church (the right to nominate a priest) was transferred to John Fleetwood of Penwortham.
The chancel
was built in the 14th century and the tower probably dates from the late 15th or early 16th century. The older nave
was replaced 1816–17, to a design by a Mr Longworth. The church was restored
in 1874 by Lancaster
-based architecture firm Paley and Austin. The nave roof was replaced 1951–53, and the chancel roof in 1956.
. The tower is crenellated
with four-stage buttress
es at its corners and has a moulded
plinth
. Three sides of the tower have clocks and there are three-light, arched belfry
louvres
on all sides.
The Gothic-style
nave has a crenellated parapet
and a copper roof. It has five three-light windows in its north and south walls. The windows are arched, with tracery
. The chancel is low and narrow in comparison to the nave. Its three-light, arched windows also have tracery. The east window has three lights under a pointed arch, with chamfer
ed mullion
s.
. Internally, the nave measures 73 feet (22.3 m) by 52 in 6 in (16 m). There are three galleries. In the southeast corner, there is a chapel.
The chancel measures 39 in 3 in (11.96 m) by 18 in 4 in (5.59 m) internally. It is accessed from the nave through a moulded arch with circular pier
s. There are Perpendicular-style
triple sedilia
(seats) in the south wall of the chancel, under semi-circular arches. They have moulded labels and next to them is a piscina
(basin) with two bowls under a similar arch.
Stained glass
in the church includes work by Clayton and Bell
and Harry Stammers. There are monuments from the 18th and 19th centuries and the Faringdon Chapel in the nave has 19th-century brasses.
and has a slate
roof.
designated St Andrew's a Grade II* listed building on 26 July 1951. The Grade II* designation—the second highest of the three grades—is for "particularly important buildings of more than special interest".
St Andrew's is an active parish church
in the Anglican Diocese of Blackburn
, which is part of the Province of York
. It is in the archdeaconry of Blackburn and the Deanery
of Leyland.
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in Leyland
Leyland, Lancashire
Leyland is a town in the South Ribble borough of Lancashire, England, approximately six miles south of the city of Preston.Throughout the 20th and 21st century, the community has seen a large growth in industry, population and farming, due to the establishment of Leyland Motors, housing...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. It is an active parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
in the Diocese of Blackburn
Diocese of Blackburn
The Diocese of Blackburn is a Church of England diocese, covering much of Lancashire, created in 1926 from part of the Diocese of Manchester. The Diocese includes the towns of Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, and the cities of Lancaster, and Preston, as well as a large part of the Ribble Valley...
and the archdeaconry of Blackburn. The church has been designated a Grade II* listed building by English Heritage.
History
Historically, the ecclesiastical parish of Leyland was large and encompassed the townshipTownship (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
s of Leyland, Euxton
Euxton
Euxton is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England. The village is pronounced "Exton") and is situated just to the south of Leyland, and to the west of Chorley.-Early Industry:...
, Cuerden
Cuerden
Cuerden is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England. It is situated between Bamber Bridge and Leyland, and has a population of 77.-History:The name derives from the Welsh cerdin, the plural of cerdinen, "rowan"....
, Clayton-le-Woods
Clayton-le-Woods
Clayton-le-Woods is a large village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 it has a population of 14,528.-Geography:...
, Whittle-le-Woods
Whittle-le-Woods
Whittle-le-Woods is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England. Residents of Whittle-le-Woods are called Whittlers....
, Hoghton
Hoghton
Hoghton is a small village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 it has a population of 867...
, Withnell
Withnell
Withnell is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 3,631. Withnell is about five miles north-east of Chorley itself and about away from Blackburn. It constituted an urban district from 1894 to 1974...
, Wheelton
Wheelton
Wheelton is a small village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 it has a population of 1,001...
, and Heapey
Heapey
Heapey is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England. The village is two miles from Chorley and on the western fringe of the West Pennine Moors. In 2001 the population was 955.- History:...
. There was likely a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
church on the site of the present structure. In the 12th century, Warine Bussel, baron of Penwortham
Penwortham
-Landmarks:Penwortham Priory was built for the Rawsthorne family and redesigned by the Cumbrian architect George Webster. The priory was demolished due to the rapid expansion of the area and the need for new housing...
, gave the church to Evesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey
Evesham Abbey was founded by Saint Egwin at Evesham in England between 700 and 710 A.D. following a vision of the Virgin Mary by Eof.According to the monastic history, Evesham came through the Norman Conquest unusually well, because of a quick approach by Abbot Æthelwig to William the Conqueror...
in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
. From the 14th century, vicars were appointed to Leyland church by the abbey. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in the 16th century, the advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
for the church (the right to nominate a priest) was transferred to John Fleetwood of Penwortham.
The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
was built in the 14th century and the tower probably dates from the late 15th or early 16th century. The older nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was replaced 1816–17, to a design by a Mr Longworth. The church was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1874 by Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
-based architecture firm Paley and Austin. The nave roof was replaced 1951–53, and the chancel roof in 1956.
Exterior
St Andrew's in constructed of stone; its roofs are stone slate and copper. The plan consists of a nave with a square tower to the west and a chancel to the east. North of the chancel is a vestryVestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
. The tower is crenellated
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
with four-stage buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es at its corners and has a moulded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
. Three sides of the tower have clocks and there are three-light, arched belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
louvres
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
on all sides.
The Gothic-style
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
nave has a crenellated parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
and a copper roof. It has five three-light windows in its north and south walls. The windows are arched, with tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
. The chancel is low and narrow in comparison to the nave. Its three-light, arched windows also have tracery. The east window has three lights under a pointed arch, with chamfer
Chamfer
A chamfer is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces. If the surfaces are at right angles, the chamfer will typically be symmetrical at 45 degrees. A fillet is the rounding off of an interior corner. A rounding of an exterior corner is called a "round" or a "radius"."Chamfer" is a term commonly...
ed mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
s.
Interior and fittings
The inside of the tower measures 16 in 6 in (5.03 m) square. The floor is lower than that of the nave and there are five steps through a tall arch that has chamfered ordersClassical order
A classical order is one of the ancient styles of classical architecture, each distinguished by its proportions and characteristic profiles and details, and most readily recognizable by the type of column employed. Three ancient orders of architecture—the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian—originated in...
. Internally, the nave measures 73 feet (22.3 m) by 52 in 6 in (16 m). There are three galleries. In the southeast corner, there is a chapel.
The chancel measures 39 in 3 in (11.96 m) by 18 in 4 in (5.59 m) internally. It is accessed from the nave through a moulded arch with circular pier
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
s. There are Perpendicular-style
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
triple sedilia
Sedilia
Sedilia , in ecclesiastical architecture, is the term used to describe stone seats, usually to be found on the south side of an altar, often in the chancel, for the use of the officiating priests...
(seats) in the south wall of the chancel, under semi-circular arches. They have moulded labels and next to them is a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
(basin) with two bowls under a similar arch.
Stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
in the church includes work by Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient workshops of English stained glass during the latter half of the 19th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton and Alfred Bell . The company was founded in 1855 and continued until 1993...
and Harry Stammers. There are monuments from the 18th and 19th centuries and the Faringdon Chapel in the nave has 19th-century brasses.
Churchyard
To the east of the chancel there is a small early 19th-century watch and hearse house. It is constructed of ashlarAshlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
and has a slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof.
Assessment and administration
English HeritageEnglish Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
designated St Andrew's a Grade II* listed building on 26 July 1951. The Grade II* designation—the second highest of the three grades—is for "particularly important buildings of more than special interest".
St Andrew's is an active parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
in the Anglican Diocese of Blackburn
Diocese of Blackburn
The Diocese of Blackburn is a Church of England diocese, covering much of Lancashire, created in 1926 from part of the Diocese of Manchester. The Diocese includes the towns of Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, and the cities of Lancaster, and Preston, as well as a large part of the Ribble Valley...
, which is part of the Province of York
Province of York
The Province of York is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England, and consists of 14 dioceses which cover the northern third of England and the Isle of Man. York was elevated to an Archbishopric in 735 AD: Ecgbert of York was the first archbishop...
. It is in the archdeaconry of Blackburn and the Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of Leyland.