Church Heritage Record 603147

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Great Marsden: St John the Evangelist

Name:

This is the church’s legal name as given by the Church Commissioners.

Great Marsden: St John the Evangelist
Record Type:

A classification of the current status of the building

Church
Church code:

This is a unique identification number supplied to each church building by the Church Commissioners.

603147
Diocese:

Name of diocese in which the church building is located at the time of entry.

Blackburn
Archdeaconry:

Name of archdeaconry in which the church building is located at the time of entry

Blackburn
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

Great Marsden St. John the Evangelist with Nelson St. Philip

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Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

The decision to put a church building on the National Heritage List for England and assign it a listing grade is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is normally based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on the historic environment.

This is not a Listed Building
Scheduled Monument?

The decision to schedule a feature (building, monument, archaeological remains, etc.) located within the church building’s precinct or churchyard is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on cultural heritage.

There is no Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

National Parks are areas of countryside that include villages and towns, which are protected because of their beautiful countryside, wildlife and cultural heritage. In England, National Parks are designated by Natural England, the government’s advisor on the natural environment.

The church is not in a National Park

Conservation Area

Conservation areas are places of special architectural or historic interest where it is desirable to preserve and enhance the character and appearance of such areas. Conservation Areas are designated by the Local Council.

The church is not in a Conservation Area

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Heritage At Risk Status

On Heritage At Risk Register?

The Heritage at Risk programme is run and managed by Historic England, the government’s advisor on cultural heritage. It aims to protect and manage the historic environment, so that the number of ‘at risk’ historic places and sites across England are reduced.

This church is not on the Heritage at Risk Register
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Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

Selecting a single date for the construction of a church building can sometimes be very difficult as most CoE buildings have seen many phases of development over time. The CHR allows you to record a time period rather than a specific date.

The CHR records the time period for the building’s predominant fabric as opposed to the date of the earliest fabric or the church’s foundation date.

Modern

Exterior Image

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Summary Description

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Although this church seems not to have received a grant from the Commissioners for Building New Churches, it belongs in style and plan entirely to the type of building sponsored by that body. Originally it was a very simple building - a plain rectangular preaching house with bays divided by tall buttresses, tall Y- traceried windows with hoods having returned ends in each bay, and single thin lancets at the west end flanking the tower.

Visiting and Facilities

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The church is open for worship.
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Church Website

Church Website:

www.holytrinitylyonsdown.org.uk

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Sources and Further Information

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CWGC (2016) Commonwealth War Graves Commission CWGC Unique File Reference Number: 2356 [Bibliography/Data]
Number of War Graves: 31
Church of England (2021) A Church Near You https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11531/ [Digital Archive/Index]
View information on worship and access at this church
ICBS (1817-1989) Incorporated Church Building Society Archive https://images.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk/luna/servlet/detail/LPLIBLPL~34~34~44701~109137 [Archive/Graphic material]

Groundplan And Gallery

ICBS File Number - 00579

Coverage - 1836

Created by ?Obadiah FOLDS; James FOLDS

ICBS (1817-1989) Incorporated Church Building Society Archive https://images.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk/luna/servlet/detail/LPLIBLPL~34~34~44710~109138 [Archive/Graphic material]

Groundplan And Gallery

ICBS File Number - 00579

Coverage - 1837

Created by ?Obadiah FOLDS; James FOLDS

Church Buildings Council (2019) Church Bells 1 Bell [Archive/Index]
1 Bell

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: SD 870 378

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Administrative Area

County:

The administrative area within which the church is located.

Lancashire County

Location and Setting

This field describes the setting of the church building, i.e. the surroundings in which the church building is experienced, and whether or not it makes a positive or negative contribution to the significance of the building.

Great and Little Marsden are now indistinguishable from Nelson. The church of St. John stands high on the hill to the east of Nelson town centre in a very large churchyard enclosed by a tall stone wall entered by gates at the south-west which open onto Barkerhouse Road.

Church Plan

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Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

Provide as written description of the ground plan of the church building and well as its dimensions.

West tower with short spire; aisleless nave of five bays with shallow transepts opening from the easternmost bay; chancel with south organ chamber and north vestry.

Dimensions

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Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

Small (<199m2)

Medium (200-599m2)

Large (600m-999m2)

Very Large (>1000m2)

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Description of Archaeology and History

This field aims to record the archaeological potential of the wider area around the building and churchyard, as well as the history of site.

The steeple and nave were built in 1846-8. The transepts and chancel were added in 1896; no architect's name is known at present for either part of the building.

Exterior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the exterior of the church building and the churchyard.

Although this church seems not to have received a grant from the Commissioners for Building New Churches, it belongs in style and plan entirely to the type of building sponsored by that body. Originally it was a very simple building - a plain rectangular preaching house with bays divided by tall buttresses, tall Y- traceried windows with hoods having returned ends in each bay, and single thin lancets at the west end flanking the tower.

The tower is rather small for the scale of the church, and has the principal doorway on the west, with three wide continuous chamfers, and a window above which is a shorter version of those in the nave side walls. At the angles are very tall slender set - back buttresses with only one intermediate weathering. These die just below the point above the nave roof where the tower is set back. The belfry stage has a Y - traceried louvred opening in each face under gablets which also enclose recessed circles. At the angles are four rather crude pinnacles, and rising between these is a short spire with a foliate finial.

It is not clear whether there was originally a chancel recess, but this is likely. The east end of the church was elaborated about half a century after its construction by the addition of transepts, chancel , organ chamber and vestry to suit the liturgical needs of the time (although the transepts are occupied only by more seats, not chapels). As usual, these parts are in a more "correct" Gothic style than the original church. The transepts are shallow and have windows consisting of groups of three lancets under hoods with foliate stops in the north and south walls.

The eastern elevation of the church has three gables, all with windows in the Decorated style. The larger chancel gable has a window of five lights with tracery of three trefoils in a circle flanked by quatrefoils in circles. The windows of the flanking gables , housing the vestry to the north and the organ chamber to the south, have three - light windows which elaborate slightly on those of the transepts by having cusped principal lights. The side walls of these chambers each have three lancets, and the vestry also has an external doorway.

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

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Building Fabric and Features

This field is an index of the building and its major components

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Collapse Building Fabric and FeaturesBuilding Fabric and Features
STAINED GLASS (c.1897)
STAINED GLASS (c.1920)
STAINED GLASS (c.1918)

Building Materials

This field is an index of the building’s material composition

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Interior Image

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Interior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the interior of the church building.

The interior is approached through a lobby in the base of the tower from which stone stairs rise north and south to serve the west gallery. The arches above the stairs meet the side walls awkwardly. The nave is a simple rectangular space without aisles, with plastered walls and pews covering every available inch of floorspace so that the side alleys are extremely narrow. The alleys are paved with patterned tiles. Another awkwardness is seen in the junction of the west wall above the gallery with the westernmost windows of the nave. The gallery is carried on thin cast. iron pillars and has a front with blind cusped ogee-headed panels. The roof has simplified hammerbeams.

The chancel floor projects into the eastern part of the nave and is raised three steps above the level of the nave. The arch has a continuous outer moulding and an inner moulding set on corbels carved as angels. There is a further step at the rails. The floor is paved with patterned tiles. On the north is a pointed doorway with foliate stops leading to the vestry and on the south an arch opens to the organ chamber. The boarded roof is of three bays with stylised leaves carved on the corbels.

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

This field is an index of the building’s internal, architectural components. This includes its internal spaces and those areas’ fixtures and fittings (building components which are securely fixed to the church or cathedral).

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Collapse Internal Fixtures and FittingsInternal Fixtures and Fittings
ALTAR (c.1896)
BELL (1 of 1)
FONT (OBJECT) (c.1896)
LECTERN (c.1896)
ORGAN (OBJECT) (c.1900)
PULPIT (c.1896)
REREDOS (c.1896)

Portable Furnishings and Artworks

This field is an index of the building’s movable, non-fixed furnishings and artworks.

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If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: SD 870 378

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Ecology

This field aims to record a description of the ecology of the churchyard and surrounding setting.

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Ecological Designations

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The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this Church.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this Church.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this Church.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

This field aims to record any evidence of the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

The church has no evidence of bats

Burial and War Grave Information

This field records basic information about the presence of a churchyard and its use as a burial ground.

It is unknown whether the church or churchyard is consecrated. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard is closed for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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The churchyard has war graves.

National Heritage List for England Designations

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There are no Listed Buildings within the curtilage of this Church.

There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this Church.

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

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Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this Church

Churchyard Structures

This field is an index of the churchyard’s components.

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Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Significance is the whole set of reasons why people value a church, whether as a place for worship and mission, as an historic building that is part of the national heritage, as a focus for the local community, as a familiar landmark or for any other reasons.

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Setting Significance Description:
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Fabric Significance Level:
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Fabric Significance Description:
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Interior Significance Level:
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Interior Significance Description:
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Community Significance Level:
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Community Significance Description:
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Church Renewables

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Open the map of church renewable installations
Solar PV Panels:

This information forms part of the Shrinking the Footprint project.

No
Solar Thermal Panels:
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No
Bio Mass:
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No
Air Source Heat Pump:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Ground Source Heat Pump:
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No
Wind Turbine:
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No
EV Car Charging:
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Unknown

Species Summary

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All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the Church . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

CategoryTotal species recorded to date
TOTAL NUMBER OF SPECIES RECORDED 0
Total number of animal species 0
Total number of plant species 0
Total number of mammal species 0
Total number of birds 0
Total number of amphibian and reptile species 0
Total number of invertebrate species 0
Total number of fungi species 0
Total number of mosses and liverworts (bryophytes) 0
Total number of ferns 0
Total number of flowering plants 0
Total number of Gymnosperm and Ginkgo 0

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

‘Seek Advice’ Species

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If any of the following species have been seen close to the Church, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the Church, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the Church. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the Church and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this Church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

The church was the centre of many people’s lives and remains a guide to their cares and concerns. Glimpses into those lives have often come down to us in the stories we heard as children or old photographs discovered in tattered shoe boxes. Perhaps your ancestors even made it into local legend following some fantastic event? You can choose to share those memories with others and record them for future generations on this Forum.

Tell us the story of this building through the lives of those who experienced it. Tell us why this church is important to you and your community.

Upload your photographs, share your videos, or compose your story below using a Facebook, Twitter, Google or Disqus account.

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WhoActionWhen
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Summary DescriptionFri 27 Jan 2023 13:23:40
Oliver LackAdded fabric typeFri 27 Jan 2023 13:23:14
Oliver LackAdded fabric typeFri 27 Jan 2023 13:22:53
Oliver LackAdded fabric typeFri 27 Jan 2023 13:22:21
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeFri 27 Jan 2023 13:21:58
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeFri 27 Jan 2023 13:19:20
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeFri 27 Jan 2023 13:19:02
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeFri 27 Jan 2023 13:18:46
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeFri 27 Jan 2023 13:18:23
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeFri 27 Jan 2023 13:18:00
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