Church of St John the Divine, Holme Chapel

The Church of St John the Divine stands in Holme Chapel, a quiet village in Cliviger, Lancashire. Built between 1788 and 1794, it replaced a small Tudor chapel that had become ruinous. The new church sits on higher ground and follows a simple Classical style. Its west front has a round-headed doorway framed by Tuscan columns and a pediment above. A bell turret with an octagonal cupola crowns the roof, and the church holds carved oak stalls moved from a demolished Blackburn church. The church is worth visiting for its historical layers and notable features. Dr T. D. Whitaker contributed to its construction and later became its perpetual curate. The building seated 400 people when opened and was consecrated by the Bishop of Chester in 1794. Inside, visitors find an octagonal 16th-century oak pulpit with intricate tracery. Two pairs of medieval oak stalls include a poppyhead finial and misericords carved with a mermaid and foliage. The churchyard contains the grave of General Sir James Yorke Scarlett, hero of the Crimean War. Inside, a screen separates the nave from the chancel, and a west gallery displays the Ten Commandments on fluted pilasters. The chancel and vestry were added in 1897 in a style judged tactful by architectural historians. The east wall features a Venetian window, and linenfold panelling lines some walls. Outside, a medieval stone cross fragment stands above a south archway. The church remains an active place of worship and a Grade II listed building, recognised for its national importance.