Bacup, Lancashire

Bacup on Wikipedia.

Lots of Bacup churches here.

The former Beulah Church at Britannia, was built as the Britannia United Methodist Church in 1884, and was destroyed by a fire in 1892 and re-opened in 1894. SD 8825 2157. © John Purdy. Another view after completion of its conversion to flats, © Mike Berrell.

Central Methodist Church on Burnley Road, was previously the Waterside Methodist Free Church, built in 1897. SD 8677 2312. © John Purdy. Two interior views - 1, 2, both © Mike Berrell. Link. Its predecessor is shown on a large scale map of 1892, standing immediately north of the present church. Its site was seen by Streetview in 2023.

The demolished Change Primitive Methodist Chapel on Todmorden Road, which opened in 1871 and closed in 1919. Interior view. SD 8771 2359. Both from Nigel Birch's Collection. Houses (Chapel Villas) have been built on the site, and were seen by Streetview in 2021.

Christ Church (1854) on Christ Church Street. Interior view. SD 8732 2338. Both © Mike Berrell. In 2024 it was showing as "permanently closed" on Google Streetview. Grade II listed.

A Congregational Chapel used to stand on Chapel Street and South Street, at SD 8707 2303. Genuki says "founded in 1848. It closed before 1954". A bungalow and adjacent park now stand on its site (2021 Streetview).

The former Ebenezer Baptist Church, demolished in the 1960's, was built in 1868. It stood at the junction of Lane Head Lane and Earnshaw Road. The congregation moved to Trinity Baptist Church. SD 8686 2312. From Nigel Birch's Collection. Its site remains undeveloped (2016 Streetview).

This drawing of the now-demolished Irwell Terrace Particular Baptist Chapel is held by Trinity Baptist Church. It stood on Irwell Terrace and South Street. SD 8695 2297. Reproduced by kind permission of the church; photographed by Mike Berrell. Its site is now a car park (2021 Streetview).

Old maps show that the Bacup Cemetery on Brunswick Terrace used to have three Mortuary Chapels. Aerial views suggest that only one survives - the one marked as Church of England at SD 8610 2160. The others were Roman Catholic at SD 8601 2165, and Nonconformist at SD 8618 2155. The council website for the cemetery dates it to 1862, and is therefore likely the date for the surviving chapel. The chapel hasn't been seen by Streetview, and I haven't been able to fond a photo of it, but the entrance to the cemetery can be seen here in a Streetview from 2023.

Providence Chapel on Tong Lane, founded in 1846 as the Providence Particular Baptist Chapel. Enlarged in 1851, re-built in 1911, it was closed in 1956. SD 8717 2308. © John Purdy. Compare with this old photo which shows it before the right-hand extension was added. From Nigel Birch's Collection. Streetviews show that it was derelict by 2009, and demolished between 2016 and 2023.

The former St. John the Evangelist (1882-3) on Burnley Road, Fern Street and Hall Street. It was closed on or prior to 2013 - see Disposal Notice. SD 8674 2304. © John Purdy. Grade II listed, wherein it's dated to 1882-3. The churchyard war memorial is also listed as grade II. By 2024 it was in commercial use - link.

St. Mary (R.C.) on Dale Street. Interior view, and a close-up of the altar. It's dated to 1857 here. SD 8676 2296. All © Mike Berrell (2008). Facebook.

The former St. Saviour on New Line. Another view. Closed in 2007, it was for sale in 2011. SD 8665 2197. Both © Mike Berrell. Grade II listed, wherein it's dated to 1864-5. St. Saviour's School was in the Unknown section for a long time. An old postcard in Steve Bulman's Collection, it was identified by Colin Waters. Link (scroll down the page).

Spiritualist Church on Pickup Street. SD 8698 2299. © Mike Berrell. By 2024, it's marked on Google Streetview as "permanently closed".

The former Thorn Wesleyan Methodist Church on Alma Street. Genuki dates it to 1872-1959. SD 8670 2290. © Nigel Birch (2008).

The former Todmorden Road Wesleyan Methodist Church, at Sharneyford, now a private residence. It has a Genuki entry, though it only says "founded before 1891". SD 8859 2454. © Nigel Birch (2008).

Trinity Baptist Church on Market Street. A large scale map of 1891 labels it as Zion Chapel (Particular Baptist). SD 8681 2282. © Nigel Birch. Interior view, © Mike Berrell (2008).

The former Wesley Place Chapel (Wesleyan Methodist, 1866) stands on Wesley Place and what is today the A681. Its Genuki entry, which says it was closed before 1963, includes an interior photo. SD 8650 2213. From Nigel Birch's Collection. Its site was seen by Streetview in 2023.