Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 02/10/2012

SD 6827 NW
2/1
28.11.51

CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST
MARY THE VIRGIN

(Formerly listed as The Cathedral Church of St Mary)

GV
II*

Cathedral church (since 1926), formerly parish church. 1820-6 by
John Palmer of Manchester; damaged by fire in 1831 and restored
by Thomas Stones, clerk of works, in consultation with Thomas
Rickman. Large-scale E extensions of 1926 by W A Forsythe;
central (transeptal) corona by Lawrence King, 1961. C19 work in
ashlar; C20 in snecked rubble; slate roofs. W tower flanked by
rooms that contained the stairs to the galleries (now removed),
nave and aisles. Shallow chancel removed and replaced by large
transepts, choir and side chapels, all set over offices. C19 work
in Decorated revival style. W tower, archaeologically careful and
advanced for its date: 3 stages, the lower stage with ogee-headed
superordinate arch containing W doorway under flat gabled portal,
and 2-light window; 1st stage divided with paired windows under
clocks; paired belfry openings under ogee hood moulds; angle
buttresses gabled and finialed clasp polygonal pinnacles; pierced
parapet. Aisles and nave battlemented, the former with tall 3-
light windows with a heavy transom (to conceal galleries),
buttresses between; the latter with paired windows. 1926 work
(incomplete) in spare Decorated style; corona with 7-light
square-headed windows to each of the eight facets, the window
bays divided by mullions that rise above parapet level; taller
angle pinnacles; all this in an economical Modern style, the
whole surmounted by a tall spire. Interior: nave of 6 bays (the
E bays altered when church extended). Cylindrical piers with
attached shafts to cardinal points; deeply moulded arches with
continuous hood-moulds; continuous formal foliage frieze below
clere story windows; ribbed tierceron star vault with
longitudinal rib. Aisles have flat ribbed ceiling with springers.
Tripartite W arrangement of doorway flanked by ogee-headed
recesses. Fittings: very few. 4 C14 seats with misericords. Some
C19 glass includes (NE) Morris & Co; glass to N transept 5-light
window formerly in E window of original church, mid-C19 Flemish.
Palmer's design is an interesting early example of
archaeologically-careful pre-Puginian Gothic Revival work, and
the starred status of this building reflects the importance of
this.

Listing NGR: SD6836027988

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Blackburn Cathedral at Wikipedia
• Blackburn Cathedral official website
• Wikidata Q2942889

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy