St Augustine's Church, Wrangthorn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Augustine's, Wrangthorn |
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St Augustine's from Woodhouse Moor
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| 53°48′53″N 1°33′45″W / 53.8146°N 1.5626°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Founded | 1871 |
| Dedication | Augustine of Hippo |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Designated: | 5 August 1976 |
| Reference #: | 1255576 |
| Architect(s) | James Barlow Fraser |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1871 |
| Specifications | |
| Tower height | 186 ft (57 m) |
| Materials | Gritstone ashlar |
| Bells | One |
| Tenor bell weight | 1 long cwt 1 qr 19 lb (159 lb or 72 kg) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Woodhouse & Wrangthorn |
| Deanery | Headingley |
| Archdeaconry | Leeds |
| Diocese | Leeds |
| Province | York |
St Augustine's Church, Wrangthorn is a historic church in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. People often call it simply Wrangthorn. It serves the areas of Woodhouse and Wrangthorn. The church is located near Hyde Park Corner, at the top of Woodhouse Moor.
St Augustine's Church was built between 1866 and 1871. The Leeds Church Extension Society helped pay for it. The church is a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historic place. It sits on a high piece of land, making its tall tower easy to spot. The architect, James Barlow Fraser, designed it in the Gothic Revival style. It is made from local stone called gritstone.
Today, Wrangthorn is an active Anglican church. It holds Sunday services, baptisms, weddings, and funerals. It's also a place for community events. These include music shows, a welcome spot for the weekly Woodhouse Moor parkrun, and a yearly volunteering project in Hyde Park.
Contents
History of St Augustine's Church
Before the mid-1800s, the Hyde Park area was mostly open land. It was part of a larger area called Woodhouse and Wrangthorn. A local landowner gave it the name "Hyde Park" to make it sound fancier. This encouraged more people to build homes there.
In 1866, the Leeds Church Extension Society bought the land for the church. This group was formed to help build churches in the fast-growing city. They paid £1,000 for the site. St Augustine's was the first church they helped fund.
The Society often used temporary iron churches first. These churches could hold 300 people. They were used while money was being raised for a permanent building. An iron church was set up on the site by February 1867. A Sunday school also started there by August. Once a permanent church was built, these iron churches were moved to other places.
Building the Church
James Barlow Fraser, an architect from Leeds, designed St Augustine's Church in 1869. The first stone was laid in December 1869. The Vicar of Leeds, Canon Woodford, led the ceremony. The church was mostly built between 1870 and 1871. It cost about £8,500 to build. It was ready to be officially opened on November 8, 1871.
The church's tall spire was the last part of the main building to be finished. It was completed in March 1878. The spire is 186 ft (57 m) high. It has one bell, made by Thomas Hilton. This bell was moved from another church, St Michael and All Angels, in East Ardsley.
The church was designed to hold 650 people. This was a goal set by the Extension Society. They wanted enough seats for a quarter of the local population. This was important because the population grew very quickly. Over the next 30 years, it quadrupled to about 10,000 people. In the 1970s, some pews were removed to make space for music groups and easier access.
St Augustine's Church also had many groups for its members. These included a large choir, sports teams, and youth groups. The church also had its own school, built in 1865. This building is now apartments.
Historic Status and Later Changes
St Augustine's Church is a Grade II listed building. It was given this status on August 5, 1976. Grade II means it is "nationally important and of special interest."
The current church hall was built in 1934. It is next to the church but not connected to it. Money for the hall was originally raised for a stained glass window. However, the window remains plain glass. The church hall is now an important community space.
Another Roman Catholic church in Leeds, built in 1936, is also called St Augustine's. To avoid confusion, people often use "Wrangthorn" to refer to this church. For many years, the parish had two churches: St Augustine's and St Mark's. St Mark's Church closed in 2001.
Church Design and Features
The outside of the church is made of rough gritstone with smooth stone details. It has a sloped slate roof. James Fraser designed the building in the Gothic Revival style. The stone has become dark from pollution over time.
The church has a tall tower on its southeast side. This tower has three levels and pointed windows. It also has carved figures of angels and grotesques. The top of the tower is octagonal and has a tall stone spire. This spire is a well-known landmark in the area.
Inside, the church has an elegant Victorian design. The main area, called the nave, has five sections. The floor is made of red and black tiles. There are shiny marble columns with carved tops. The arches are pointed and have sloped edges. Electric lights with round bulbs and leaf designs light up the space. The original pews, or church benches, are low and even have umbrella holders. The church also has two transepts (side sections) and a three-section chancel (the area around the altar).
The pulpit, where sermons are given, is made of inlaid marble. It has beautiful mosaics on three sides. One mosaic shows a pelican, which is quite rare. The arch leading to the chancel has short black marble columns. The wooden ceiling above is painted and has a subtle crown of thorns design.
The reredos, a screen behind the altar, is made of pink marble in the Gothic Revival style. It has a central mosaic showing the Last Supper. This mosaic remembers members of the architect Fraser's family. Above it, the east window has colorful stained glass. It shows scenes from the life of Christ. A small statue shows Augustine of Hippo, an early church leader the church is named after.
Both the north and south transepts have decorative stained glass windows. The church also has some stained glass from the demolished St Michael's Church, Buslingthorpe. The original altar from St Mark's Church is also here. The font, used for baptisms, is an eight-sided bowl with fancy carvings. It was a gift from the architect. The font has a special gilded lid that balances on a pulley. There is also a memorial dedicated to those who died in both world wars.
The church is surrounded by gardens, cared for by volunteers. However, it does not have a graveyard.
The Church Organ
The church has a large organ. An earlier organ was installed by Henry Bevington. The current organ was built by Abbott and Smith, a Leeds company known for its organs. It has 3 manuals (keyboards) and pedals. It has 43 stops, which control the sound. About 32 of these stops produce sound.
The organ has nearly 2,000 pipes. These pipes vary greatly in length. Some are as long as 15 ft (4.6 m), while others are as short as 1.5 in (3.8 cm). You can find more details about the organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
See also
- Listed buildings in Leeds (Hyde Park and Woodhouse)
