St John the Baptist's Church, Leenside, Nottingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. John the Baptist's Church, Leenside, Nottingham |
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|---|---|
| 52°56′59″N 1°8′35″W / 52.94972°N 1.14306°W | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo Catholic |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. John the Baptist |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | George Gilbert Scott |
| Style | Early English Period |
| Completed | 1844 |
| Construction cost | £4,400 |
| Closed | 1941 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Nottingham |
| Diocese | Diocese of Southwell |
| Province | York |
The church of St. John the Baptist, Leenside, Nottingham was a special church in Nottingham, England. It opened in 1844 as part of the Church of England. Sadly, it was destroyed during World War II in 1941.
Contents
History of the Church
Building the Church
The first stone for St. John the Baptist's Church was placed on 9 August 1843. Charles Pierrepont, 2nd Earl Manvers laid the stone. Archdeacon George Wilkins gave a speech to everyone watching.
The church was built to serve the area around St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Famous architects George Gilbert Scott and William Bonython Moffatt designed it. The Church Building Commission gave £800 to help with the building costs.
Opening Day
The church was officially opened on 5 November 1844. Bishop John Kaye of Lincoln led the special ceremony. The church could seat 800 people. It cost about £4,400 to build, which was a lot of money back then!
Design and Materials
The church was built in the Early English Period style. This is a type of old English architecture. It used stone from Bulwell. Other stones came from quarries in Cromford, Coxbench, and Duffield, Derbyshire. The decorative parts of the pillars were made from stone found in Mansfield.
A house for the church's priest, called a parsonage, was built nearby in 1850–51. A local architect named Francis Williamson designed it.
Church Life and Changes
The first priest was William Howard, who served from 1840 to 1853. He later became the priest at St Peter's Church, Nottingham.
In 1853, John Montague Valpy became the new priest. During his time, St. John's was the first church in Nottingham to have a choir that wore special robes. They also started having music and services during the week.
The church was first meant for working-class families in the Leenside area. However, its "High Church" style of worship soon attracted wealthier people. Many came from The Park area of Nottingham.
In 1911, a nearby area called St. James' Church, Standard Hill became part of St. John's parish.
Destruction of the Church
Sadly, the church was bombed during a Second World War air raid. This happened during the Nottingham Blitz on the night of 8–9 May 1941. The church was badly damaged and later had to be pulled down. After this, its parish joined with St George in the Meadows, Nottingham.
Church Organ
The church had a pipe organ built by Lloyd and Dudgeon of Nottingham in 1865. This organ was replaced in 1896 by a new one from Bishop of London. The new organ had 3 keyboards and pedals, with 23 different sounds. Like the church itself, this organ was destroyed in the Nottingham Blitz in 1941.
More Information
You can find more details about the history of this church. There are also pictures of what it looked like after it was destroyed. Just visit the Churches of Southwell official website: http://southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/nottingham-st-john-baptist/hhistory.php.
