St Ambrose's Church, Grindleton
St Ambrose's Church is in the village of Grindleton, which is situated about 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Clitheroe, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Whalley, the archdeaconry of Blackburn, and the Diocese of Blackburn.[1][2] Its benefice is united with that of St Peter and St Paul, Bolton by Bowland.[3] The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.[4]
| St Ambrose's Church, Grindleton | |
|---|---|
 St Ambrose's Church, Grindleton, from the south | |
  St Ambrose's Church, Grindleton Location in the Borough of Ribble Valley | |
| 53.9063°N 2.3632°W | |
| OS grid reference | SD 762 456 |
| Location | Grindleton, near Clitheroe, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Ambrose |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 20 February 1984 |
| Architect(s) | Austin and Paley (Rebuilding) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1805 |
| Completed | 1898 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, slate roofs |
| Administration | |
| Province | York |
| Diocese | Blackburn |
| Archdeaconry | Blackburn |
| Deanery | Whalley |
| Parish | Grindleton |
| Clergy | |
| Rector | Revd Mark J Williams |
| Minister(s) | James Taylor |
History
The west tower and part of the nave date from 1805.[4] In 1897–98 the Lancaster architects Austin and Paley rebuilt the body of the church, other than its south side.[5] That rebuilding also included replacement of the box pews and the pulpit.[6]
Architecture
The church is constructed in sandstone and has slate roofs. Its plan consists of a three-bay nave, a north aisle, a south porch, a single-bay chancel, and a west tower. The tower is in three stages, with a lunette west window in the middle stage. The top stage contains lunette-shaped bell openings, and the parapet is battlemented with pinnacles at the corners. Each bay contains a two-light window. The south porch is constructed mainly of timber. Between the nave and the chancel is a buttress. The south wall of the chancel contains a three-light window, and the east window has four lights. The west window, and the windows along the north aisle, have two lights each.[4]
Inside the church is a five-bay timber arcade. The chancel contains a double sedilia and a piscina. The stained glass in the east window dates from the late 1800s, and contains depictions of the Four Evangelists.[4] Another window depicts Saint George and Joan of Arc, and beneath it is a memorial to the two world wars.[6] The two-manual organ was built in 1879 by Bevington, and restored and overhauled in 1979 by R. D. Holmes and E. H. Holmes.[7]
External features
The churchyard contains the war graves of three soldiers of World War I, and an airman of World War II.[8]
See also
References
- Semley, Ronnie (16 April 2014), "Diocese of Blackburn is now home to SIX new Parishes", Diocese of Blackburn, retrieved 21 May 2014
- "Bishop of Blackburn Julian welcomes new parishes to diocese", Lancashire Telegraph, Newsquest (North West), 21 May 2014, retrieved 21 May 2014
- Grindleton: St Ambrose, Grindleton, Church of England, retrieved 4 January 2012
- Historic England, "Church of St Ambrose, Grindleton (1072188)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 January 2012
- Brandwood, Geoff; Austin, Tim; Hughes, John; Price, James (2012), The Architecture of Sharpe, Paley and Austin, Swindon: English Heritage, p. 242, ISBN 978-1-84802-049-8
- The Parish Church of St Ambrose, Grindleton Village, retrieved 4 January 2012
- Yorkshire, West Riding (Lancashire), Grindleton, St. Ambrose (R00617), British Institute of Organ Studies, retrieved 4 January 2012
- GRINDLETON (ST. AMBROSE) CHURCHYARD, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, retrieved 14 February 2013
