St John's Church, Rawtenstall
History
The church was built in 1889–90 to a design by the Lancaster architects Paley, Austin and Paley. It cost £5,000 (equivalent to £640,000 in 2023), and provided seating for 500 people. The commission resulted from a competition assessed by Ewan Christian. The church was declared redundant on 1 May 1976, and has since been used as a warehouse. Its rood screen was removed to St Nicholas' Church, Newchurch.
Architecture
St John's is constructed in sandstone with a slate roof. Its architectural style is Arts and Crafts Perpendicular. The church stands on a north–south axis, and its plan consists of a nave with low aisles, a chancel, a porch, and double transepts. At the southwest is the base of an intended tower incorporating a porch, which rises to a height of only 10 feet (3 m). It contains diagonal buttresses, a doorway above which is blind arcading, and a pyramidal roof.