St Chad's Church, Claughton
Church in Lancashire, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St Chad's Church is in the village of Claughton, Lancashire, England. It is a redundant Anglican parish church, which is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.[1]
| St Chad's Church, Claughton | |
|---|---|
St Chad's Church, Claughton, from the northwest | |
  St Chad's Church, Claughton Location in the City of Lancaster district | |
| 54.0931°N 2.6641°W | |
| OS grid reference | SD 567,666 |
| Location | Claughton, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Former parish church |
| Founded | 1070 |
| Dedication | Saint Chad |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 4 December 1985 |
| Architect(s) | Austin and Paley (restoration and additions of 1904) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1904 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 50 feet (15 m) |
| Width | 26 feet (8 m) |
| Materials | Sandstone, slate roof |
History
The original church was built on the site in 1070,[2] and the recorded list of its rectors goes back to 1230.[3] The present church was built on the same site in 1815.[3] In 1869 Hubert Austin designed new tracery for the east window. It cost £270 (equivalent to £35,000 in 2025),[4] which also paid for the stained glass that was designed by Henry Holiday, and made by Heaton, Butler and Bayne.[5] In 1904 Austin and Paley carried out work on the church, adding a north aisle, a porch, and buttresses, replacing the floor, removing the plaster ceiling, and providing new seating, a pulpit, and a lectern. This work cost about £900 (equivalent to £95,000).[4][6] The church was declared redundant on 1 December 2002,[7] due to a decline in the size of the congregation and because of the need for repairs.[8]
Architecture
St Chad's is constructed in sandstone rubble with a slate roof. It incorporates older fabric dating from about 1300 and from 1602. The plan consists of a nave and chancel in one cell, a north aisle, a north vestry, and a north porch. Along the side of the aisle are three two-light mullioned windows, with a single-light window in the angle with the vestry. On the south wall are three windows containing Perpendicular tracery. Between the nave and the chancel is a buttress. At the west end of the church is a single-light window with a trefoil head in the aisle, a buttress between the aisle and the nave and, in the nave wall, a carved panel containing the name W. Croft and the date 1602. The east window dates probably from about 1300 and has three lights with intersecting tracery and a pointed head. On the west gable is a double bellcote.[1] One bell is said to be inscribed with the date 1296, making it the oldest bell in England.[1][3] The other bell is dated 1727.[3] Inside the church is a Perpendicular-style arcade dating from 1904,[9] consisting of three semi-circular arches carried on round piers.[1] The baluster font dates from the 18th or early 19th century.[9]
