Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin

CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1239147
Date first listed:
28-Nov-1951
List Entry Name:
Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin
Statutory Address:
CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN
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Date:
2002-05-12
Reference:
IOE01/07097/12
Rights:
© Mr Peter J. Sturtivant. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1239147
Date first listed:
28-Nov-1951
Date of most recent amendment:
25-Oct-1991
List Entry Name:
Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin
Statutory Address 1:
CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
Blackburn with Darwen (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:
SD 68360 27988

Details

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

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
416889
Legacy System:
LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin

Map

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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