St Paul's Church, Longridge

St Paul's Church was built in 1886–1888, as a chapel of ease for the nearby parish church of St Lawrence, and designed by Ewan Christian. The foundation stone was laid by Lady Stanley in 1886, and the church was consecrated by the Bishop of Manchester in 1890. The tower, designed by A. C. M. Lillie, was added in 1936–37. Currently, the Parish of Longridge has two churches, with St Lawrence and St Paul acting, jointly, as parish church. ==Architecture==

Exterior The church is constructed in sandstone with slate roofs. Its plan consists of a five-bay nave with a clerestory, north and south aisles, a chancel, a north organ chamber and vestry, and a west tower. The tower has angle buttresses, and a west doorway with a moulded surround. Above the doorway is a three-light window, over which are three narrow lancet windows. There are two lancet bell openings on each face, and at the top of the tower is an embattled parapet with corner pinnacles. On the south face of the tower is an octagonal stair turret. The windows contain Perpendicular tracery. ==Appraisal==

The church was designated as a Grade II listed building on 22 November 1983. The architectural historians Hartwell and Pevsner comment in the Buildings in England series that the church is "rather squat", and that it is "all rather conventional". ==Present day==

St Paul's is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Preston, the archdeaconry of Lancaster, and the diocese of Blackburn. The church works in association with St Lawrence's Church, it holds services on Sundays and Thursdays, and publishes a parish magazine. ==See also==