Your Heritage
St John's is in the Roman Catholic parish in the market town of Poulton-le-Fylde. The parish has served the local Catholic population since 1813, and the present church was built in 1912.
The church is home to a medieval vestment (chasuble) which has been dated to circa 1470. It is important locally due to the history of the Roman Catholic Church on the Fylde coast, Preston and North Lancashire areas, particularly during the time of the reformation. Over the years the chasuble has deteriorated and it has had modern alterations and repairs.
The project explores and documents the history of the chasuble through research while also focusing on the restoration and conservation of the garment. A team of six volunteers under professional supervision removed the modern additions and undertook conservation work.
The project provided opportunities for volunteers to learn new skills in handling ancient textiles and to learn how medieval vestments were constructed. A local history society took part in researching the life of the chasuble to produce a booklet to share its history with the wider community. The chasuble is on public display in St John's church with interpretation boards.