Key Points
- Celebration of Bicentenary: St John the Evangelist Church, Farnworth, is celebrating its bicentenary anniversary by holding a full weekend of celebration services.
- Open Days: The Grade II listed Church in Church Street will be open to visitors on Friday (4 September) and Saturday (5 September) from 10 am to 4 pm.
- Events on the Weekend: Some of the events include looking at displays of historical memorabilia, enjoying live organ music, taking a break with refreshments, participating in a raffle draw, and purchasing commemorative fine bone china mugs and pens.
- Anniversary Service: The celebrations will be concluded with an official Service of Celebration at 2 pm on Sunday (6 September), attended by distinguished guests such as Bishop David, Archdeacon Simon Cook, Mayor of Bolton, and local councillors.
- Children Fundraising Event: The Brownies' Unit of the Church, 3rd Farnworth St John's, started their fundraising campaign for their bicentenary year as “£200 for 200 years.”
- Foundation: It was established as a Waterloo Charity Commissioners church with a grant of £1 million from the government. Its foundation stone was laid on 4 March 1824 by Benjamin Rawson, who contributed his land for its construction. Built at a cost of £8,000, the church was consecrated by the Right Reverend Charles James Bloomfield DD, Bishop of Chester, on 9 September 1826.
- Archives: The first baptism and burial were conducted on 15 October 1826, while the first marriage ceremony took place much later on 2 August 1930. During its hundred years of existence, the church had conducted 12,348 burials, 21,000 baptisms, and 5,500 marriages.
- On-screen Presence: The church had been used for filming the 2008 BBC television drama All the Small Things starring Sarah Lancashire.
- Future Preservation: As part of its future conservation efforts, due to its many structural issues like subsidence and a £400,000 restoration process in the 1990s, the church is fundraising for the roof and lychgate repairs, along with releasing a 200th Anniversary Book in October.
Farnworth (Bolton Today) September 3, 2026 – A historic Farnworth church is set to mark its bicentenary with an extensive weekend of community celebrations, historical exhibitions, and a high-profile civic service. St John the Evangelist Church, located on Church Street, will officially open its doors to the general public on Friday, 4 September, and Saturday, 5 September, between 10:00am and 4:00pm, inviting residents to reflect upon two centuries of heritage and community presence in the region.
As reported by Grace Williams of The Bolton News, visitors attending the two-day open event will have full access to curated displays of historic memorabilia, church artefacts, and archival items detailing the building's 200-year evolution. Throughout both days, attendees will be entertained by live organ music and provided with refreshments. To assist in covering running costs and securing the structural future of the site, a raffle will be hosted alongside the sale of bespoke souvenir merchandise, including commemorative fine bone china mugs and inscribed pens.
The weekend-long festivities will culminate in a formal Service of Celebration held inside the church sanctuary at 2:00pm on Sunday, 6 September. The service will be attended by prominent regional clergy and local political figures, including Bishop David, Archdeacon Simon Cook, the Mayor of Bolton, and several local ward councillors.
What Events and Community Initiatives Are Planned for the Bicentenary?
The 200th-anniversary milestone has mobilised various branches of the church's local congregation, including its youth initiatives. As highlighted in the visual coverage provided by St John's Church and reported by Grace Williams of The Bolton News, the church's official Brownies group—3rd Farnworth St John's—actively took on a dedicated fundraising initiative entitled the "£200 for 200 years" challenge to support the church's ongoing maintenance fund leading up to the September events.
In addition to the public open days, organ recitals, and civic services scheduled across the weekend, organizers have confirmed that the bicentenary commemorations will continue well into the autumn. As reported by Grace Williams of The Bolton News, an official "200th Anniversary" historical book detailing the comprehensive history of St John the Evangelist is currently in production and is scheduled to go on sale to the public in October.
What Is the 19th-Century History and Origin of St John the Evangelist?
The Grade II listed building possesses a rich religious and architectural history rooted in early 19th-century post-Napoleonic Britain. According to historical records detailed by Grace Williams of The Bolton News, St John the Evangelist was established as one of the first "Waterloo churches"—erected by the Waterloo Charity Commissioners using allocated funds from a £1 million parliament grant designed to build new Anglican churches across expanding industrial towns.
The physical origins of the building date back to 4 March 1824, when the foundation stone was formally laid by Benjamin Rawson, a prominent local figure who donated the parcel of land on Church Street for the construction. The total cost to erect the structure reached £8,000. When completed, the building was designed to serve all strata of local society, providing 620 free seats for the public alongside 328 rented pews.
The church was officially consecrated two years later, on 9 September 1826, by the Right Reverend Charles James Bloomfield DD, who served at the time as the Bishop of Chester.
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What Do Historical Records Reveal About the Church’s Early Registries?
The archival records at St John the Evangelist paint a poignant picture of life, mortality, and religious activity in 19th- and 20th-century Farnworth. As detailed by Grace Williams of The Bolton News, the parish carried out its very first baptism and its very first burial on the exact same day: 15 October 1826.
The initial baptism ceremony was conducted by the Rev R C Burton, who officially baptized two children, Thomas Tildsley and Eliza Tildsley. On that same afternoon, the church conducted its first interment in the churchyard, burying John Arstall, a child aged just two and a half years old.
Intriguingly, while baptisms and burials began immediately upon consecration, the church went over a century before registering its first official wedding ceremony. As reported by Grace Williams of The Bolton News, the church's inaugural marriage took place on 2 August 1930, when Thomas Pedley and Mary Robinson were wed in a service solemnised by the Rev T A Ashworth.
By the time St John the Evangelist reached its centenary milestone, the parish archives recorded an extraordinary level of community service:
- Total Burials: 12,348 interments conducted within the churchyard grounds.
- Total Baptisms: 21,000 individuals received into the faith.
- Total Marriages: 5,500 wedding ceremonies solemnized.
How Has the Church Overcome Structural Damage and Restorations?
Throughout its two centuries of continuous operation, the Grade II listed stone building has weathered substantial structural crises and environmental damage. As documented by Grace Williams of The Bolton News, a severe storm struck the area in 1991, causing the heavy stone cross mounted atop the chancel wall to dislodge and crash to the ground.
Subsequent architectural inspections revealed that underlying ground subsidence had severely compromised the structural integrity of the church's east wall. To prevent permanent loss of the landmark, parish leaders launched an extensive ten-year restoration programme in 1993. The structural overhaul cost a total of £400,000, successfully stabilizing the foundation, repairing the east wall, and restoring the historical interior.
What Role Has St John's Played in Popular Media and Culture?
Beyond its ecclesiastical role in Greater Manchester, St John the Evangelist has earned national television exposure. As reported by Grace Williams of The Bolton News, the Grade II listed church was chosen by television producers in 2008 as a primary filming location for the BBC television drama series All the Small Things.
The drama, which starred acclaimed British actress Sarah Lancashire, used both the internal sanctuary and the exterior grounds of St John's to portray the fictional church choir at the center of the series' narrative, cementing the Farnworth building's place in modern popular culture.
What Are the Current Preservation and Fundraising Priorities for the Building?
Despite the successful £400,000 overhaul carried out during the 1990s and 2000s, maintaining an aging 19th-century Grade II listed structure presents continuous financial demands for the local parish council and congregation.
As reported by Grace Williams of The Bolton News, the church is currently facing ongoing upkeep challenges and is actively seeking community donations and fundraising support to address critical structural repairs. The primary targets for current fundraising campaigns include urgent maintenance works required on the church’s main roof structure, as well as timber and masonry preservation for the historic lychgate situated at the perimeter of the churchyard entrance.
Church wardens and organizers hope that the publicity, merchandise sales, and community turnout surrounding the 200th-anniversary weekend will provide a vital financial boost to ensure that St John the Evangelist Church remains safely preserved for generations to come.