Lancashire

Churches

An interesting and distinctive church of 1960-1962 by Laurence King

Up until the twentieth century essentially three styles dominated English church architecture - Romanesque, Gothic and Classical. But, as the century progressed, Modernism asserted itself and some architects departed in form and construction from the precedents of earlier times. However, many chose to combine the new ways with traditional forms. St Nicholas, Fleetwood may, at first glance, look very Modern with its origami-like folds and massive brick arches. Yet, it is essentially a conservative building whose structure in many respects follows the traditions of the previous millennium. It is one of Fleetwood's best buildings and deserves to be more widely known.

The church is the work of Laurence King (1907-1981), perhaps better known in Lancashire as the architect of the corona and spire of Blackburn Cathedral. The foundation stone was laid by Nicholas Meynell Esq. on 15th October 1960, when the site was hallowed by the Bishop of Blackburn. The building comprises a central tower, nave, chancel, north and south porches, and ancillary rooms.  It was not completed, and this is particularly clear at the west end of the nave.

The east and west faces of the tower of St Nicholas are two, tall, tapering, unadorned brick slabs. The north and south faces, apart from bands of brickwork at the top and bottom, are almost completely constructed of flat recessed windows with ladder-like glazing bars. Above the windows are bell louvres. The top of the tower is undecorated, topped with a concrete coping. Was anything else intended?

The nave roof is particularly tall and steep, and, like all the roofs, covered in copper panels. It sweeps down and flares outwards over the aisles. A small section extends east of the tower. The chancel roof is lower, but of the same angle as that of the nave. Both roofs have three sharply pitched dormers on each side. These tilt forward, and add to the sail-like effect of the building. The dormers on the chancel are smaller to reflect the lesser scale of that roof. The ancillary rooms and the north and south porches have roofs of much shallower pitch. The latter are entered by arches of the same character as those seen inside the building.

All the walls of the church, except that at the west end, are constructed of a brownish-orange brick. There is no stone or concrete dressing used anywhere. The west wall has a "temporary" finish of brown stained vertical boarding. This is pierced by three tall, rectangular windows with horizontal glazing bars. The centre window is one pane taller than the flanking windows. At ground level a boarded corridor with small windows projects westward, and the north end has an entrance. The east end of the church has a large cross fixed to the wall with a ladder, a crown of thorns and other Instruments.

After the sharply angular aesthetic of the exterior of the church the visitor is surprised by the curves that everywhere meet the eye inside. In place of columns and arcades the nave has brick arches and narrow aisles or passages down each side. The sloping roof of the aisles is supported by further arches. The crossing tower walls are pierced west and east by enormous arches, and by corridor arches north and south. Their form is emphasises by a projecting band of brick that follows the arch round. In the nave and crossing the walls are of bare brick, but the chancel arch and the chancel (which holds the Lady Chapel) are plastered - a nice touch. The curved, laminated roof timbers sweep up from the nave floor to the apex of the ceiling, echoing the line of the crossing arches. In the nave the roof is painted white, boarded (?), and pierced by hundreds of small star-shaped holes.

The west wall of the nave is painted white, and has an organ of 1961 by J.J. Binns of Leeds positioned centrally. Apparently an organ loft was intended for the west end of the nave. The grey limed oak pews must surely come from an earlier church. Could they have been in the predecessor to St Nicholas? This basic timber structure remains nearby, in use as a Scout Hut, and still has its stained glass east window with lilies and crowns! The plain octagonal pulpit on a ribbed stem matches the pews. Nearby, the desk-style wooden lectern has pierced foliated sides and stands on a clustered shaft on an octagonal base. It is painted in grey, blue and gold.

The high altar is placed under the crossing and is raised on a two-step plinth. It is made of concrete and engraved with a Chi Rho Cross, Alpha and Omega letters. The painted altar rails pick up the colour scheme of the lectern, particularly in the elegant balusters. Above the altar is a suspended baldacchino. It has eight downlighters and a carved and painted dove representing the Holy Spirit.

The Lady Chapel is, unusually, in the chancel beyond the high altar. It is a tapering design, made of concrete, and carved on the front with minimalist representations of the loaves and fishes. The only stained glass in the church is in this chapel - an abstract window with small pieces of white, blue green and yellow, with the occasional stab of red.

St Nicholas' has three large wood carvings designed by Laurence King. A Madonna and a St Nicholas mounted on either side of the nave crossing arch. They are elongated figures, painted and gilded. Above the Lady Chapel altar is a Crucifix with angels and flanking figures. The church also displays a water colour of a design by King for a Majesta to be located above the chancel arch. This appears not to have been made.

View of the east elevation

The sharply pitched roofs and dormers suggest sails - appropriate imagery for a port.

View east down the nave

The curves of the brick arches and the roof trusses dominate the inside of the church.

Looking west through the crossing

The arched wooden timbers of the nave can be seen through the west tower arch.

The high altar

This view from the south aisle shows the brick arches which dominate the interior design.

Baldacchino

The wings of Laurence King's dove, representing the Holy Spirit, appear to move.

St Nicholas

A design by Laurence King showing the saint in his bishop's clothes.

Lady Chapel altar

A concrete piece with a simplified representation of the loaves and fishes on the front.

Photographs and text © Tony Boughen