Christ Church, Sawley Road, Chatburn

 CHATBURN CHURCH - In the Spring of 1837 an appeal was made to the Christian public to aid in the building and endowment of a small Church at Chatburn, in the Chapelry of Clitheroe and Parish of Whalley. The liberality with which this call was met was sufficient to justify the commencement of the work. A piece of ground containing upwards of 2000 square yards having been given for the site, and for the adjacent Cemetery, the first stone of a Church, from a design by Mr Sharpe, of Lancaster, was laid on 22 June 1837, and the edifice was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Chester, on the 18th of September 1838. The Townships of Chatburn and Worston, neither of which had previously possessed any place of public worship, containing together a population of about 720, were assigned by the Bishop to compose the pastoral district for the new Church, of which the Rev Robert Ingham MA was at the same time appointed Minister. {Blackburn Standard 1 July 1840 page 1]

The prime mover for the erection of a new church at Chatburn was Dixon Robinson, Steward of the Honour of Clitheroe and principal landowner in the district. Together with his brother, William Robinson, he presented a plot of ground containing 2,000 superficial square yards as the site and, on 22 June 1837, here was laid, with masonic ritual, the foundation stone of the new church. Dixon Robinson’s brother-in-law the Rev Robert Ingham, was appointed first incumbent and remained until his death in 1879.

The church formerly consisted of nave in the shape of a parallelogram, a small apse or chancel at the east end, with tower and spire at the west end, the latter being the most striking feature about the building. Seating accommodation for 364 (310 according to the Diocesan Calendar). The estimated cost had originally been given as £950. However, when final accounts were published in the Blackburn Standard of 1 July 1840, costs had risen substantially. The cost of building and completing the church was stated as £1299 1s 3½d; Inclosing the churchyard £144 13s 7½d; levelling churchyard £32 9s 10d; Architect’s fee and superintendence £45 7s 5d. With other fees and expenses, the total cost amounted to £1622 14s 9d. In 1882 much of the church was rebuilt to the designs of Frederick Josias Robinson (qv), Dixon Robinson's son.

NEW CHURCH AT CHATBURN – This church which was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Chester on Tuesday week, is calculated to hold 300 sittings, and is beautifully situated to the north of the little village of Chatburn, which lies on the banks of the Ribble, about two miles distant from Clitheroe. It is built of limestone and freestone from Pendle Hill, and the peculiar manner in which the materials are united produces a very striking and pleasing effect. The spire can be seen along the vale of the Ribble, in one direction as far as Settle, and in the other, nearly from Preston. The church has been erected from the design and under the superintendence of Edmund Sharpe Esq., of Lancaster, and has been completed in little more than twelve months. The Bishop and the assembly were entertained after the ceremony with hospitality at the house of Dixon Robinson Esq., whose zealous exertions in the collection of the necessary funds the Established Church is mainly indebted for this important addition to is efficiency. [Blackburn Standard 26 September 1838 page 2]

* claimed to be the first church built during the reign of Queen Victoria, who succeeded to the throne at 2.00 am on 20 June 1837.

Reference        Blackburn Standard 28 June 1837 page foundation
Reference        Blackburn Standard 26 September 1838 page 2 – consecration
Reference        Blackburn Standard 1 July 1840 – final accounts
Reference        Preston Herald 29 September 1882 page 3 – alterations