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All Souls' Church, Blackman Lane facts for kids

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All Souls Church
All Souls Blackman Lane 2010.jpg
OS grid reference SE 29943 34722
Location Leeds, West Yorkshire
Country England
Denomination Church of England
Churchmanship Liberal Catholic
History
Dedication All Souls
Architecture
Architect(s) Sir George Gilbert Scott
Administration
Parish Leeds All Souls
Deanery Allerton
Archdeaconry Leeds
Episcopal area Leeds
Diocese Leeds
Province York

All Souls' Church is a large and historic church located on Blackman Lane in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It's part of the Church of England and was built during the Victorian era. This church is known for its Anglo-Catholic style of worship, which is a particular tradition within the Church of England. It's also recognized as a Grade II* listed building, meaning it's a very important historical building.

A Look Back: The Church's History

All Souls' Church was built as a special way to remember Dr W. F. Hook. He was a vicar in Leeds for about 22 years. People raised money together to build the church in one of the poorer areas of Leeds, called the Leylands.

Who Designed All Souls' Church?

The church was designed by a famous architect named Sir George Gilbert Scott. This was actually the very last church he designed before he passed away in 1878. His son, John Oldrid Scott, then took over to make sure the building was finished. The first stone was laid in September 1876. The church was officially opened and blessed on January 29, 1880.

What Does the Church Look Like?

The church has a simple but impressive design. It is 134 feet long. It has aisles (walkways) next to both the main part of the church (nave) and the area around the altar (chancel). There's also a porch at the southwest side and a baptistery (where baptisms happen) under the tower. The outside of the church uses Southowram stone. The inside walls are made of smooth ashlar stonework.

The Church and BBC Leeds

For a few years, from 1968 to 1974, a building next to the church called Tennant Hall was used by BBC Leeds. This hall used to be the church's Sunday School. It became the TV studios for the local news show Look North. In 1974, the BBC moved to new studios nearby.

Special Artworks in the Church

The church has some beautiful and unique artworks.

  • The Font Cover: The fancy wooden cover for the font (where baptisms take place) was given by an artist named Emily Ford. She donated it to celebrate her own baptism as an adult. She painted scenes from the Bible on the cover. What's cool is that the people in her paintings have the faces of her friends and fellow campaigners! In 2013, money was raised to clean and restore these eight painted panels.
  • The Rood Cross: Hanging above the choir area is a large wooden cross. It shows "Christ Triumphant on the Cross." This impressive carving was made by John Francis Kavanagh. It was created to remember Cecil, who was Walter Hook's son and the first priest of All Souls' Church.

The Church Organ

The organ at All Souls' Church was built in 1877 by a company called Abbott and Smith. It has been repaired and updated several times over the years. The beautiful case that holds the organ pipes was designed by A. Crawford Hick.

Past Organists

Many talented musicians have played the organ at All Souls' Church. Here are some of them:

  • Frederick William Hird (1826–1887)
  • John Pew Bowling (1851–1886)
  • Hugh Mulleneux Lawrence (1887–1896)
  • Thomas James Hoggett (1896–1901)
  • Newell Smith Wallbank (until 1911)
  • Charles Legh Naylor (1911–1917)
  • Dr Richard Henry Hargrave (1875-1952)
  • Keith Senior (2008–present)

Church Services

All Souls' Church holds regular services following the Anglo-Catholic tradition. This means they have a special style of worship with lots of involvement from people in the congregation. They also have talks for children.

  • Sunday:
    • 11:00 AM: Sung Mass (a main service with singing)
  • Wednesday:
    • 10:30 AM: Mass (a shorter service)

See also

Gallery

  • All Souls Leeds Interior 1

    The beautiful interior of the church.

  • All Souls Leeds High Altar and Reredos

    The High Altar and the decorative screen behind it (Reredos).

  • All Souls Leeds Organ 1

    A closer look at the church organ.

  • All Souls Leeds Great West Window 1

    A stunning stained glass window by Charles Eamer Kempe.

  • All Souls Leeds Font

    The baptismal font, used for baptisms.

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