Leeds Minster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leeds Minster |
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| Minster and Parish Church of St Peter-at-Leeds | |
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The Minster and Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds
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| 53°47′42″N 1°32′10″W / 53.79500°N 1.53611°W | |
| OS grid reference | SE 30658 33301 |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Peter |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Robert Chantrell |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 55 metres (180 feet) |
| Tower height | 42 metres (139 feet) |
| Bells | 12 + flat 6th |
| Tenor bell weight | 40 long cwt 1 qr 27 lb (4,535 lb or 2,057 kg) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Leeds City |
| Deanery | North-west Leeds |
| Archdeaconry | Leeds |
| Episcopal area | Leeds |
| Diocese | Leeds |
| Province | York |
Leeds Minster, also known as the Minster and Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds, is a very important church in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the oldest church site in the city. This church has a rich history and beautiful design.
A church has been on this spot since the 7th century. The building you see today was designed by Robert Dennis Chantrell. It was finished in 1841. The church is dedicated to Saint Peter. It was the main church for Leeds before it became a "Minster" in 2012. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historic site.
Contents
History of Leeds Minster
Building the Church
A church in Ledes is mentioned in the Domesday Book from 1086. But there was likely a church here much earlier. Pieces of old Anglo-Saxon stone crosses were found during the building of the current church. These crosses are known as the Leeds Cross.
The church was rebuilt twice before the current one. Once after a fire in the 14th century, and again in the 19th century. Walter Farquhar Hook, who was the Vicar of Leeds from 1837, helped build the church we see today. He also helped make the Anglican church stronger across Leeds. The architect for this new church was Robert Dennis Chantrell.
Originally, they only planned to make the church bigger. This was to fit more people inside. But when work started, they found that much of the old church was unsafe. So, they decided to build a completely new church. This new parish church was the largest new church built in England since Sir Christopher Wren's St Paul's Cathedral. St Paul's was built after the Great Fire of London and finished in 1707.
The people of Leeds helped pay for the new church. It cost over £29,000. It was officially opened on September 2, 1841. Famous people like Florence Nightingale were there. Dr Samuel Sebastian Wesley played the organ.
The east end of the church was changed between 1870 and 1880.
On September 2, 2012, the parish church became Leeds Minster. This was 171 years after it was first opened. Leeds Minster is one of three minster churches in West Yorkshire. The others are Dewsbury Minster and Halifax Minster.
The Church's Local Area (Parish)
The original parish of Leeds was very large. It covered an area of 21,000 acres. This included many smaller towns and villages. Over time, many of these smaller places built their own local churches. This saved people from having to travel far to the main parish church.
In the 19th century, many new churches were built across the parish. This was due to new laws that helped create more local church areas. This meant more people could attend church closer to their homes.
Church Design and Look
Cruciform means the church is shaped like a cross. It is built from ashlar stone, which is finely cut stone. The roofs are made of slate. The design copies the English Gothic style from the late 14th century. This was a time when church styles were changing.
The church is about 55 meters (180 feet) long and 26 meters (86 feet) wide. Its tower reaches 42 meters (139 feet) high. The main parts of the church, the chancel and nave, are both long. They have high windows called clerestories and tall aisles. The tower is on the north side, where the main entrance is. The tower has four levels with decorated sides. The clock was made by Potts of Leeds.
Inside the Minster: Furnishings and Art
The windows have beautiful patterns called Perpendicular tracery. The large east window from 1846 has glass collected from Europe. At the east end, the sanctuary has a marble archway. It features mosaics by Salviati of Venice. The screen behind the altar, called the reredos, is made of colorful marble and alabaster. It was designed by George Edmund Street.
The church has a set of 13 bells. They were first made in 1842. Then, they were recast into the current 13 bells in 1932. The largest bell weighs over 40 long tons.
The organ is very old, with some parts from 1841 or even earlier. It was mainly built by Harrison & Harrison in 1914. It also includes pipes from Edmund Schulze. The organ has been repaired and updated several times over the years.
Inside the Minster, you can find many old items and memorials. One important item is the Anglo-Saxon Leeds Cross. Pieces of this cross were found in 1838 when the old church was taken down. There is also a brass plaque remembering Captain Oates. He was part of Scott's Antarctic expedition and had connections to Leeds.
Beautiful Flemish stained glass is in the apse of the church. More recently, in 1997, Sally Scott created the Angel Screen. This is a modern example of glass engraving. Outside, in the churchyard, you can see the Leeds Rifles War Memorial. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and was revealed in 1921.
Leeds Minster Today
Leeds Minster is part of the Anglican Diocese of Leeds. This diocese also includes cathedrals in Ripon, Wakefield, and Bradford. The Minster is in the "Parish of Leeds City." It is located at the eastern edge of the city center.
The Reverend Canon Paul Maybury became the leader of the church in December 2022.
The church helps young people through a drop-in center called The Market Place.
During choir terms, there are at least three services each week with singing by an adult choir. This choir includes volunteers and students from local universities. There is also a weekly organ recital on Fridays at 1 PM. It features both the church's organists and guest musicians.
Leeds Minster is part of the Greater Churches Group. This group includes large, important parish churches. The famous writer Sir John Betjeman once said about Leeds Parish Church: "There's High Church, Low Church and Leeds Parish Church." This shows how unique and important it is.
The church is lit up at night by floodlights. These were given by Tetley's brewery.
You can visit the building Tuesday to Saturday from 11 AM to 2 PM. It is also open during Sunday worship. The church's old records are kept at the Leeds office of the West Yorkshire Archive Service.
Music at Leeds Minster
Leeds Minster has a long history of choral music. Until 2015, boys' and men's choirs sang services almost every day. A separate girls' choir was started in 1997.
Many famous organists have played at Leeds Minster since 1842. These include Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1842–1849) and Dr Edward Bairstow (1906–1913). Dr Simon Lindley was the Organist and Master of the Music from 1975 to 2016. He was only the ninth person to hold this musical role since Wesley's time.
Today, the Choir of Leeds Minster is an adult chamber choir. It has about two dozen singers. These include skilled volunteers and students from Leeds and York Universities. During term time, the full choir sings Evensong on Thursday evenings. They also sing at two full choral services every Sunday.
A semi-professional adult choir, Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds, also practices and performs here. They give regular concerts and sing at services.
The Minster Choir has been connected with the Royal School of Church Music since the 1930s. This is through links with its founder, Sir Sydney Nicholson.
Organ Concerts
Organ concerts are held every Friday lunchtime from September to July. They feature the Minster's own organists and many guest musicians. Sunday evening concerts take place weekly in August.
Notable Organists
- 1842 Dr Samuel Sebastian Wesley
- 1906 Dr Edward Bairstow
- 1937 Dr (Alfred) Melville Cook
- 1957 Dr Donald Frederick Hunt OBE
- 1975 Dr Simon Geoffrey Lindley
- 2016 Paul Dewhurst
- 2020 Alexander Woodrow
Graveyard
The church used to have a graveyard across Kirkgate road. Burials stopped there in the 1830s. That land later became a park called Penny Pocket Park.
Rugby League Connection
A rugby league team from Leeds Parish Church joined the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1896. This is now known as the Rugby Football League. The team played for five seasons until 1901, then they stopped.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in West Yorkshire
- Listed buildings in Leeds (City and Hunslet Ward - southern area)
