St. Anne’s Church has four excellent memorial windows – the magnificent Victorian Gothic Revival window by Kempe at the east end and three attractively designed modern windows in the walls of the nave: one donated in memorial to James Hargreaves and his wife, the other two to Kenneth Brown and his wife.

The Kempe window

The splendid east window was designed and produced by the London studios of Charles Eamer Kempe. On the 8th December, 1889 the window was dedicated to the Honour and Glory of God and as a memorial to the first incumbent and vicar of Fence.

The Reverend William Haworth, M.A. of St. John’s College, Cambridge, spent the whole of his ministerial life in Pendle Forest – first as curate of Newchurch and then as Vicar of Fence from the opening of the church for divine worship in August 1837 until his death in February 1883, a period of 46 years. His memorial tablet is on the south wall of the nave.

The window comprises three lancet lights, with a total area of 82 square feet. The central light depicts Christ in Majesty, crowned and carrying the kingly symbols of orb and sceptre. Underneath is a depiction of the Annunciation – the Archangel Gabriel informing Mary that she would bear Jesus. On the right is St. Mary with a nativity scene below. The figure in the left hand light is the church’s Patron Saint – St. Anne and underneath Anne teaching her infant daughter, Mary, to read. Flanking the window are paintings of St. Peter on the left and St. Paul on the right placed in church in 1896.

Fifteenth century stained glass inspired Kempe as the most suitable style to harmonise with the atmosphere of church interiors and this influence was to appear in all his ecclesiastical work. This style of design, the use of mainly green, blue and ruby glass, the delicate and detailed painting of saintly figures in Gothic settings, the masterly use of large areas of silver stain, all combined to produce a new refreshing interpretation in Victorian stained glass. All these characteristics are exemplified in the St. Anne’s window.

After 1895 Kempe included a wheatsheaf motif in his designs, taken from the family arms, to identify his work. However, the St. Anne’s window pre-dates this practice.