St Mark's Church, Huddersfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Mark, Old Leeds Road |
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| Former Church of St Mark, Old Leeds Road, Huddersfield | |
St Mark's, before 1907
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 Church of St Mark, Old Leeds Road
Location in West Yorkshire
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| 53°38′58″N 1°46′35″W / 53.64944°N 1.77639°W | |
| OS grid reference | SE148170 |
| Location | Huddersfield, West Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Central |
| History | |
| Status | former church |
| Founded | 15 May 1886 |
| Dedication | Mark the Evangelist |
| Dedicated | 27 September 1887 |
| Consecrated | 27 September 1887 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Defunct |
| Heritage designation | Unlisted |
| Architect(s) | William Swinden Barber |
| Architectural type | Mission church |
| Style | Gothic Revival architecture |
| Specifications | |
| Bells | 1 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Formerly St Mark's, Huddersfield |
The Church of St Mark on Old Leeds Road in Huddersfield, England, was once a special church for the Church of England community. It was also known as St Mark's, Leeds Road. The church was built because the main church in Huddersfield, St Peter's, had too many people for its size. A new building was needed for the growing number of churchgoers.
The famous architect William Swinden Barber designed the church in 1886. It opened its doors in 1887. Many vicars, or church leaders, worked here over the years. Some were very popular, like Canon Percy Holbrook. Others, like Reverend Jonas Pilling, faced challenges with their community. Reverend Joseph Miller was known for his inspiring speeches. The Church of England sold the building in 2001. Today, it has been changed into a modern office building.
Contents
Building the Church
Laying the First Stone
The first stone of St Mark's Church was laid on Saturday, May 15, 1886. Even though the weather had been bad, a large crowd gathered under a big tent. Mrs. William Brooke had the honor of laying the stone. She used a special silver trowel with an ivory handle. The trowel had a message engraved on it. It thanked her for laying the foundation stone of St Mark's Church. A beautiful rosewood mallet was also used. It had silver circles engraved with messages about the church.
Many important people were there. This included Mr. William Brooke and his wife, church leaders, and the choir. The headmaster of Huddersfield College and local officials also attended.
During the ceremony, a hymn called This stone to thee in faith we lay was sung. Reverend J.W. Bardsley gave a speech. He talked about how many people had moved to cities. This meant that more churches were needed. He explained that the Huddersfield parish had grown a lot. The main church, St Peter's, did not have enough seats. So, St Mark's was built as an extra church. The land for the church was given by Sir John Ramsden.
Reverend Bardsley also said that people, even those who were not rich, had helped raise money. He asked the community to raise more funds. This money was needed to finish the building and to help support the church in the future. After his speech, the hymn Christ is our corner stone was sung. People donated £42 1s 1d. The treasurer said they still needed more money to cover all the costs.
A Time Capsule and Speeches
A time capsule was placed inside the first stone. It was a bottle filled with interesting items. It held copies of the day's newspapers and current coins. It also had a description of the church and the names of the people who designed and built it. After Mrs. Brooke laid the stone, the crowd cheered. Several people gave long speeches. The event ended with the National Anthem and a prayer.
Church Dedication Ceremony
The church building was officially dedicated on Tuesday, September 27, 1887. This special ceremony is called a consecration. It was led by William Boyd Carpenter, the Bishop of Ripon. A large crowd gathered for the event. Many church leaders walked in a procession up the middle aisle of the church. This group included 33 clerics, led by the Bishop. Members of the building committee also joined the procession.
After everyone was seated, the Bishop signed a special document. Then he led the consecration prayers. A morning service followed, with prayers, readings, and a communion service. The choir from the main Parish Church sang hymns and psalms. The Bishop gave a sermon about looking at things that are not seen, but are eternal. He also spoke about Jesus' work with the poor. People donated £201 4s 11d during the collection.
After the service, a big lunch was held at the Parish Church Schools. Many church leaders and local people attended. During the speeches, it was noted that 1887 was Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee year. It was also mentioned that people from different religious groups had helped fund St Mark's. The estimated cost of the building was £4,024. However, they had raised over £5,430, including money from local people who were not rich. The church also received gifts like furniture and communion plate.
The architect, William Swinden Barber, was praised. He said the church was simple and could be made even better with stained glass. A new church school was also suggested to be built nearby. Although the luncheon was long, many people still came to the evening service. The collection that evening raised £11 9s.
Church Design
Building Structure
The church was designed to be simple because there wasn't much money. It also needed to fit many people. So, a "mission-church" style was chosen. This meant it had plain details and no upper windows (clerestory). The building took up almost all the land from west to east. There was only a small space between the church and the canal.
The front of the church, facing Leeds Road, was its main outside feature. It had a central support (buttress) that separated two tall windows. A large cross was built into the wall above. This cross was meant to have symbols of the evangelists carved on it. By 1887, the center of the cross had an image of a suffering Jesus. A plain bell tower on top held a bell made by Mears & Stainbank. Because the church was so close to the Huddersfield Broad Canal, the foundations of the east wall had to be very deep and made of concrete. The canal company even had to drain the canal water twice during the building work.
Inside the Church
The original plans for the church showed a main area (the nave) and a special area for the altar (the chancel). There were also side areas called aisles. At the east end of the north aisle, there was a space for the organ. This organ was in place by 1907.
Underneath the chancel and the east ends of the aisles were "spacious vestries and a heating chamber." These rooms were used as two vestries, a heating room, and a storage room. This was possible because the ground sloped down to the west. The chancel above was raised by seven steps.
The plans also showed that the inside roofs would be striking. They would have wide spans and heavy timbers. The windows and open benches were drawn very simply. The east window was planned to have three tall, narrow windows (lancet lights). This would have been a great place for stained glass, but it was never added because the area was poor. The church was designed to seat 422 adults and 112 children. By the time it was dedicated, it could hold 500 adults.
The internal wooden roofs of the nave and chancel were shaped like the cover of a wagon. This type of roof was thought to make the sound inside the church very good. In 1887, the church had a font, a carved wooden pulpit, and a brass lectern. These items were all gifts from different people.
Church History
St Mark's Church stopped holding services and was officially closed by the Church of England on November 1, 1997. For a while, it was rented out to the Huddersfield Sea Cadet Corps. They even put a large cutout of a ship across the east window! After that, an office equipment company rented it.
On September 18, 2001, the church was sold. The new owners kept the stone carvings inside and the main roof timbers. They then divided the building into offices. These offices are now rented out to different companies.
Sculptures at St Mark's
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Figs with fruit on south side of chancel arch
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Feminine angel on south side of chancel arch
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Figs without fruit on north side of chancel arch
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Masculine angel on north side of chancel arch
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Cross on west wall showing symbols of Evangelists
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Carved stone cross above chancel
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Church Leaders (Vicars)
Reverend John Dunbar (1887–1888)
Reverend John Dunbar was born in Liverpool in 1856. He became a deacon in 1880 and a priest in 1881. Before coming to St Mark's, he worked at St Peter's Church in Huddersfield. People said his work at the Mission Church was "most prosperous." He was known for his simple, faithful sermons and for being a good parish priest. He was also very good at connecting with people.
Dunbar was the vicar of St Mark's from December 1887 to November 1888. During his time, a big bazaar was held in the Town Hall. It raised £1,400 to help support the church. After St Mark's, he moved to another church in Huddersfield. He later became the vicar of Helme, Meltham, where he died in 1925.
Canon Percy Holbrook (1888–1891)
Canon Percy Holbrook was born in Reading, England, in 1859. He was the vicar of St Mark's from 1888 to 1891. He later became a respected leader at Holy Trinity Church in Nottingham. People described him as an "eloquent preacher" and a "wise and gentle counsellor." He was known for his original ideas and courage. He also supported many church and charity groups.
Reverend Thomas Killam-Killam (1891–1897)
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Reverend Thomas Killam-Killam was born in Cowick, near Hull, in 1860. He became a deacon in 1883 and a priest in 1885. He was the vicar of St Mark's from 1892 to 1897. In 1897, he was offered the chance to lead a new church, St Barnabas, in Crosland Moor, Huddersfield. He served there for 37 years until he retired in 1934. He died in 1938 at the age of 80.
Reverend Robert Alfred Humble (1897–1901)
Reverend Robert Alfred Humble was born in Durham, England, in 1864. He was known for his community work. He organized fundraising events and meals for older people. He was also part of church committees and social events, even playing on his church's cricket team. He was the vicar of St Mark's from 1897 to 1901.
Reverend James Sowter (1901–1905)
Reverend James Sowter was born in Norwich in 1855. He became a deacon in 1884 and a priest in 1885. He had worked in several churches before coming to St Mark's in December 1901. He stayed there until 1905. He later became the rector of Steeple Gidding and then the vicar of Holme, Peterborough, where he stayed until his death in 1917.
Reverend Jonas Pilling (1905–1921)
Reverend Jonas Pilling was the vicar of St Mark's from 1905 to 1921. His time at the church was often written about in newspapers. He had a long disagreement with his church community. This led to fewer people attending church and the building falling into disrepair. This happened in an area with a lot of poverty, where church work was very much needed.
Reverend Joseph Miller (1929–1931)
Reverend Joseph Miller was born in 1874. He was a Congregational minister, known as a very "eloquent preacher." He was in high demand for fourteen years in northern England. In 1929, he made a big change by becoming an Anglican priest. His first role as an Anglican priest was as the vicar of St Mark's Church, from 1929 to 1931.
