CONGREGATION AND COMMUNITY

St. Nicholas is a village church with the capacity to hold larger weddings, baptisms and funerals. The Church has the largest village graveyard available for burials of any denomination. It has a loyal and faithful congregation. It supports young people in the Community with the annual Rose Queen and Walking Day and its association with Sabden Brownies.

The regular Sunday congregation is 50 people. However at Nativity, Christmas, Easter, Harvest, Walking Day and the village’s Service of Light the congregation is regularly increased to 70-100.

LOCATION & HISTORY

St. Nicholas Parish Church stands on an exposed hill side location above the Ribble Valley village of Sabden. It is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. St. Nicholas is the largest Church in a village with a population of about 1600. The Grade II four bay nave and tower were constructed in 1846. The spire and tower are part of the iconic Sabden scenery and are a much-loved landmark, with the Church featuring in most picture postcard images of Sabden. In winter the Church is floodlit and it is the eye-catching feature in the valley after dark.

St. Nicholas Church houses a rare and unusual John Laycock organ built in 1879. The Church has the only village clock tower with a working clock dating back to 1900. The tower has two bells, with one recorded in the National Bell Register as a Mears Bell dating back to 1841.