[Acrylic-bob]

Right, I'm intrigued now. So I popped along to the library and found just one source of information, all the rest is in the County Records office in Preston.

First, prior to the reconstruction of the nave in 1804, Church Kirk looked a lot like churches of Altham, Great Harwood and Whalley. (pic of Altham below). The new nave extended the church by 21feet to the east. At a later date, unspecified but after 1866, a chancel and a vestry were added. The chancel being to the east of the nave and the vestry being to the north of the nave (between the church and the canal). it is the Vestry which carries the anomaly.

As you will note from the photograph of the church taken in 1866, before the chancel was added, graves are up against the east end of the nave and would have had to be removed for the building of the chancel. So I think from this evidence that we can definately rule out avoiding existing graves as a reason for the anomaly.

In addition there is talk of a Roman Road, which exists some four feet below the present level of Dale Street and Lower Antley Street. It is assumed that it is by means of such roads that King Oswald travelled to Shropshire where he was killed in battle. His remains are said to have returned along the same route and probably rested in Church on the way.

The well, which is said to have been enclosed in the east wall of the church yard when the wall was built is named in documents drawn up as early as the thirteenth century (1200-1299 AD). There are two other wells dedicated to St. Oswald one in Winwick, Lancs, the other in Oswestry, Shropshire. These wells were held sacred and a stream of pilgrims constantly sought miraculous cures by drinking the water. This was the case at Winwick and Oswestry, presumably the same thing occurred at Church.