St Aidan's Church, Leeds Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Aidan's Church
Church of St Aidan (Bishop Woodford Memorial)

53°48′45″N 1°31′15″W / 53.8126°N 1.5207°W / 53.8126; -1.5207
OS grid reference	SE 3166 3525
Location	Leeds
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Liberal Catholic
Website	www.staidan-leeds.org.uk
History
Founded	1894
Specifications
Capacity	800
Administration
Parish	Leeds Saint Aidan
Deanery	Allerton
Archdeaconry	Leeds
Episcopal area	Leeds
Diocese	Leeds
Province	York

St Aidan's Church is a beautiful old church located in Harehills, a part of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It belongs to the Church of England and was built in 1894. This large building is made of red brick and has a special design called a basilica. It is also a "Grade II* listed" building, which means it's very important historically and architecturally, so it's protected. Next to the church, there is also a church hall. The architects who designed this impressive building were Johnson and Crawford Hick from Newcastle upon Tyne.

History of St Aidan's Church
St Aidan's Church Today
- Daily Services and Church Life
Images for kids
See also

History of St Aidan's Church

When Was St Aidan's Church Built?

St Aidan's Church was officially opened and blessed on October 13, 1894. This special ceremony was led by John Pulleine, who was the Bishop of Richmond at the time. The very first vicar, or priest, of the church was Samuel Mumford Taylor. He later became a bishop himself, serving in Kingston-upon-Thames. He left some of his special church items, like his staff and hats (mitres), to St Aidan's.

The Amazing Mosaics of St Aidan's

One of the most amazing things inside St Aidan's Church is its huge mosaics. These colorful pictures are made from tiny pieces of glass or stone. They cover a large curved area at the end of the church, called the apse. These mosaics were created by a famous artist named Frank Brangwyn and were finished in 1916.

The mosaics tell stories from the life of St Aidan, a very important saint. You can see scenes like him feeding people who were poor, traveling in a place called Northumbria, giving speeches (preaching), and his death. People say the best time to see these mosaics is around noon on a sunny winter day. That's when the light from the church's main windows, called nave windows, shines on them perfectly.

Frank Brangwyn first planned to paint the church walls. But he was worried that the smoky air in Harehills would ruin his paintings. So, he decided to use mosaics instead, which are much more durable. On the wall behind the altar, you can see a mosaic of St Aidan preaching. If you look very closely, you might even spot the artist's initials, F. B., hidden in a pattern of stars!

The Church Organ

The church also has a very old and special organ. It was built in 1896 by a company called James Jepson Binns. What makes this organ unique is that it has never been changed or updated since it was first built. It sounds just like it did over 120 years ago!

St Aidan's Church Today

Daily Services and Church Life

St Aidan's Church is a busy place even today. It's quite special because it holds a service called the Mass every single day. This is not common for most Church of England churches.

The church used to be part of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds. A "diocese" is like a church district, and Ripon Cathedral was its main church. However, in 2014, St Aidan's Church became part of a new, larger church district called the Diocese of Leeds.