Immanuel Church, Feniscowles

Immanuel Church stands in the village of Feniscowles, close to Blackburn in Lancashire. Built in 1835–36, it is an active Anglican parish church with a Grade II listing on the National Heritage List for England. The church’s design is credited to J. W. Whittaker, the Vicar of Blackburn, though some sources suggest his cousin, Edmund Sharpe, an architect from Lancaster, may have contributed. The foundation stone was laid by William Feilden, who donated the land and part of the construction costs. In 1931–32, the church underwent restoration by Austin and Paley, who added a pulpit, chancel screen, and new flooring. The church is constructed from gritstone with a slate roof and features a nave and chancel in one space, a southwest porch, and a short west tower topped with a spire. The tower has diagonal buttresses, a two-light west window, and rectangular louvred bell openings. Inside, a west gallery is supported by slim iron columns, and the east window’s stained glass dates to 1861. The north and south sides of the church hold windows by Heaton, Butler and Bayne, and Curtis, Ward and Hughes, respectively. The two-manual organ in the gallery was built in 1949 by Jardine and Company, reusing pipes from an earlier 1899 organ by Ernest Wadsworth. Visitors find a quiet, well-preserved church with a mix of architectural styles. The gritstone exterior and slate roof give it a solid, traditional appearance, while the interior holds notable stained glass and an organ with historical significance. The church bell, an eighteenth-century Javanese piece with a dated inscription, adds an unusual cultural touch. The restored chancel screen and panelled walls from the 1930s work show the care given to maintaining the building. The church remains a place of worship and a local landmark in Feniscowles.