St Matthew's Church, Leyburn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Matthew |
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| The Parish Church of St Matthew, Leyburn | |
| St Matthew's | |
The Church of St Matthew Leyburn
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| OS grid reference | SE113903 |
| Location | Leyburn, North Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Weekly attendance | 40 (average 2015) |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 16 September 1868 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Christoper George Wray |
| Architectural type | Geometrical |
| Construction cost | £3,000 (1868) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Leyburn |
| Deanery | Wensley |
| Archdeaconry | Richmond & Craven |
| Diocese | Leeds |
The Church of St Matthew Leyburn is a special church in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, England. It's also called The Parish Church of St Matthew. You can find it just outside the town centre, near the A684 road. This church was built a long time ago, in 1868. Before that, people from Leyburn had to walk about one mile to Wensley to go to church.
The church became its own parish in 1956. In 2017, the church got permission to make some changes. They wanted to remove the old wooden seats (pews) and add more parking. The church celebrated its 150th birthday in 2018.
Contents
History of St Matthew's Church
Early Churches in Leyburn
A very long time ago, before the 16th century, there was another church in Leyburn. It was located west of town in an area called Chapel Flatts. When England changed from Catholicism during the Reformation, this old church was no longer used for worship. It was turned into a barn.
Later, the building fell apart. Local people used its stones to build houses and walls. By the early 1800s, the old church was completely gone. During this time, people from Leyburn had to go to church in Wensley. It was unusual for a town like Leyburn to have a market but no church.
Wensley used to be a more important town than Leyburn. It had a market since 1202, much earlier than Leyburn's market. This is why the main church was in Wensley. In 1563, a serious illness affected Wensley. Many people left, and Wensley became a very small village with a large church.
Building the Current Church
In 1836, a temporary church building was put up in Leyburn. This became a smaller church connected to Holy Trinity Wensley. The Church of St Matthew was officially opened in 1868. It continued to be linked to Holy Trinity until 1956. That's when Leyburn became its own separate church area, called an ecclesiastical parish.
The Church of St Matthew is located north of the A684 road, on the east side of Leyburn. The land for the church was given by Lord Bolton. This church is special because it's the only church designed by an architect named Christopher George Wray. It's built in a style called "Geometrical."
The church has a tower on its west side. This tower holds the only public clock in Leyburn town. Building the church cost £3,000. People donated money to pay for it. The original plan was for an even bigger church, but there wasn't enough money. A rule was made that no one could be buried in the churchyard. This rule has been followed, except for one former churchwarden who was buried there in 1955.
Church Design and Features
The Church of St Matthew is made from sandstone. It has a special type of roof called a hammerbeam roof. The roof is covered with Welsh slate. The main part of the church, called the Chancel, is 22 feet (6.7 m) long and 17 feet (5.2 m) wide. The Nave, where people sit, is 48 feet (15 m) long and 21 feet (6.4 m) wide. It also has an 11-foot (3.4 m) wide aisle. The tower is three stories tall and is 10 feet (3.0 m) square.
Christopher George Wray, the architect, didn't design many other churches. However, he did design other famous buildings. These include The Maritime Museum in Hull and the Palace Hotel in Cairo. The Church of St Matthew was officially opened in September 1868 by Bishop Robert Bickersteth. The church organ was finished a bit later, in May 1870. The building was given a special heritage status, grade II listed, in 1967.
On the west wall of the church, there is a plaque. It remembers Flight Lieutenant Alan Broadley. He was a navigator in the Royal Air Force from Richmondshire. He died during a military mission called Operation Jericho in February 1944. This mission was a raid on Amiens Prison.
Recent Updates and Community Use
In 2016, the church received a grant of £36,000. This money was from the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund. It helped pay for repairs to the roof and drainage system. In the same year, plans were announced to remove the pews from the church. The idea was to make the church more useful for the community. They also planned to add a new glass hallway to an outside building.
Even though some people had concerns, the plans were approved. Richmondshire District Council approved them in 2016. The Diocese of Leeds gave its approval in early 2017. In 2018, the church celebrated its 150th anniversary.
See also
- Listed buildings in Leyburn
