All Saints
Burnley, Lancashire
A beautiful early Victorian Gothic Revival Church designed by architectural pioneers Messrs. Weightman & Hadfield of Sheffield.
The earliest documentary evidence of a church on this site is dated 1140, although there is evidence which suggests that the original church may have had Saxon origins. The 'new' church was built in 1512, some three years after Henry VIII was crowned king of England, and in 2012 we enjoyed a wonderful year of celebration of our quincentenary, which included a visit by the then Archbishop of York, the Most Revd. Dr John Sentamu.
The church is a place of peace and holiness. We have the privilege of continuing a tradition which goes back 900 years. We are guardians of its heritage and recognise that in our time here we are custodians of the history, the present, and the future of this beautiful building. Our task is simply to nurture and care for it and, in time, to pass it on to the next generation, in a better state than we found it.
Guided tours are available on request for organised groups and for casual visitors at 2.30pm on the third Sunday of each month between March and October, when we explore the church building and learn about some of the people who have been associated with it during its long history. Many of the artefacts from the original Norman church were incorporated into the Tudor church, including the 13th century tympanum, the 14th century piscina and the Norman font (thought to be Saxon by some specialists), and stone coffin lids, purloined from the graveyard as used as lintels above the main door and a 12th century stone window frame.
About a half of the congregation is made up of young families and children and the work we do with them has been recognised by the award of "Child Friendly Church" status by the Diocese of Blackburn.