Christ Church Abingdon Street Blackpool

NEW CHURCH AT BLACKPOOL - On Saturday afternoon the foundation stone of Christ Church Blackpool was laid by Mr W W Schofield JP of Rochdale. ..... Sittings for about 1,050 persons will be provided in the new church, the contract for which has been taken by Messrs Knowles and Braithwaite for £3,450. There will be a broad nave, with north and south aisles of two bays only, gabled transversely, as a transept; a spacious chancel, with north and south aisles, the former of which will be the vestry and the latter the organ chamber. At the western end of the nave there will be a spacious porch, with a wide double door. At the north-west corner will stand the tower, the basement of which will serve as a north porch and a staircase to the western gallery. The baptistery will be at the south-west corner. There will also be galleries in the north and south nave aisles. Six external doors will give ample ingress and egress; and the positions of these entrances will be so arranged that in stormy weather the doors to leeward only need to be opened. A central and two side tiled passages up the nave will give access to the seats - open benches with easy sloping backs and seat-boards. The chancel is to be well raised above the nave, the Lord’s table standing five steps above the nave. In the chancel there is to be the usual furniture - two rows of choir seats on either side, the prayer desk, altar rail and table. The architectural style of the church will be an early and simple type of decorated gothic. The steeple will have a belfry for six bells. The church will be built from designs by, and is being erected under the superintendence of the architect, Mr J Medland Taylor of Manchester. [Manchester Guardian 25 July 1865 page 4]

BLACKPOOL — On Saturday afternoon, the foundation stone of Christ Church, Blackpool, was laid by Mr. W. W. Schofield, J.P. of Rochdale. Sittings for about 1,050 persons will be provided in the new church, the contract for which has been taken by Messrs. Knowles and Braithwaite for £3,450. There will be a broad nave, with north and south aisles of two bays only, gabled transversely, as a transept; a spacious chancel, with north and south aisles, the former of which will be the vestry and the latter the organ chamber. At the western end of the nave there will be a spacious porch, with a wide double door. At the north-west corner will stand the tower, the basement of which will serve as a north porch, and as a staircase to the west gallery. The baptistery will be at the south-west corner. There will also be galleries in the north and south nave aisles. The style will be an early and simple type of Decorated Gothic. Mr. J. Medland Taylor, of Manchester, is the architect. [Building News 28 July 1865 page 539]

BLACKPOOL (LANCASHIRE) - The foundation-stone of Christ Church, Blackpool, has been laid. Sittings for about 1,050 persons will be provided in the new edifice, the contract for which has been taken by Messrs. Knowles & Braithwaite for £3,450, which includes the steeple and all the fittings complete. There is a broad nave with north and south aisles of two bays only, gabled transversely as a transept; a chancel, also with north and south aisles, the former of which is the vestry, and the latter the organ-chamber. At the western end of the nave is a porch with a wide double door. At the north-west corner is the tower, the basement of which serves as a north porch and as a staircase to the west gallery, which extends over the west porch. At the south-west corner is the baptistery. There are also galleries which do not project into the nave in the north and south nave aisles. Six external doors give ingress to and egress from the church, and the positions of these entrances are so arranged as that in stormy weather the doors to leeward only need be opened. A central and two side tiled passages up the nave give access to the seats, which are all open benches with sloping backs and seat-boards. The style of the church is Early Decorated. The walls are being built chiefly of red brick, with a facing of split granite boulders, and with windows and other dressings of Longridge stone. The east and west ends are lighted respectively by five and four light traceried windows. Elsewhere there are a circular rose window, several two- light traceried windows, and others lancets, single, or in pairs, and groups. The steeple has in its upper stage a belfry for six bells, and is covered with a steep-pitched quadrilateral slated roof. The church was designed by, and is being carried out under the superintendence of, Mr. J. Medland Taylor, of Manchester. [Builder 5 August 1865 Page 558]

Foundation     Foundation stone laid 22 July 1865.
Opened          3 May 1866.

Reference        Manchester Guardian 25 July 1865 page 4 - foundation stone
Reference        Preston Chronicle 29 July 1865 page 7 – foundation stone repeat from M G
Reference        Building News 28 July 1865 page 539
Reference        Builder 5 August 1865 Page 558
Reference        Manchester Guardian 4 May 1866 page 3
Reference        Builder 2 June 1866 Page 414 – opening
Reference        Church Times, London 5 August 1865 page 245
Reference        Church Times 12 May 1866 page 152
Reference        Pevsner: Lancashire: North