St Mark's Church, Woodhouse, Leeds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gateway Church |
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| 53°48′42.9″N 1°33′11.9″W / 53.811917°N 1.553306°W | |
| Location | St Mark's Street, Woodhouse, Leeds |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Evangelical |
| History | |
| Status | Parish Church |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed building |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1823 |
| Completed | 1826 |
Gateway Church is an Evangelical church in Woodhouse, Leeds, England. It used to be called St Mark's Church. It was an Anglican parish church until it closed in 2005. The church reopened as Gateway Church in 2014.
Contents
History of the Church Building
St Mark's was built between 1823 and 1825. It was designed by Peter Atkinson Junior and Richard Hey Sharp. The church officially opened in January 1826. In 1831, a new church area was created for St Mark's. This was because the nearby St Peter's had too many people.
A special balcony for people to sit in was added in 1832–1833. Another balcony on the south side was removed in the early 1900s. In 1873, local architects Adams & Kelly updated the windows and replaced the old, box-like seats. The church has beautiful stained glass windows.
St Mark's was one of three special churches built in Leeds. It is the only one that is still standing today. The church was closed in 2001. It started to fall apart and was put on a list of buildings that needed help.
Gateway Church Takes Over
In 2008, a group called Gateway Buildings Trust bought the church building. This group is connected to Gateway Church, which is a local evangelical charity. The trust spent about £1.5 million to fix up and redesign the inside of the church. Most of the money came from Historic England.
Gateway Church started holding meetings in the building in 2014. The building is also used for community events and meetings.
Church Design and Look
Outside the Church
The church is made of stone and has a sloped slate roof. It has a tall tower on the west side with three levels. The church has a long main hall and a special area for the altar. The tower has a door, windows with two lights, and larger windows on its second level. It has eight-sided decorations on top.
Inside the Church
The church has one long main hall and a chancel (the area near the altar). There is a room for the clergy and a wooden organ on the north side. A small chapel is on the south side. The altar area has a carved stone screen.
There is a stone font for baptisms and an eight-sided pulpit. These were added in 1891 to remember Reverend J. S. Abbott. During the recent renovation, a new floor was added inside. This created meeting rooms and a café below, dividing some of the windows.
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Church interior between 1900 and 1914
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The chancel with three steps up
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Mezzanine level added during renovation
Monuments and Special Markers
The churchyard has a tall monument with two angels. It honors a local sculptor named Robert Mawer (1807–1854). He created many artworks for churches. His wife, Catherine Mawer (1803–1877), likely carved this monument. The monument was listed as a historic building in 1997. However, an urn and the angels' heads have been removed since then.
On the north wall inside the church, there is a plaque with ivy leaves. It remembers William Schofield (died 1857), John Coultate (died 1864), and Hannah (died 1860) and Alice (died 1863) Craven. There is also a monument to Susannah Blesard (died 1856) inside the vestry. Most of this monument is now hidden behind shelves. Catherine Mawer carved this monument, and it is now quite worn.
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Monument to Robert Mawer
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Schofield-Coultate memorial
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Susannah Blesard memorial
Filming Location
The church was used in the 2014 TV show The Beiderbecke Affair. It was called the 'Parish Church of St Matthew' in the show. However, the inside scenes, including the crypt, were filmed at St Peter's Church in Stanley. That church was torn down in 2014.
See also
- List of places of worship in the City of Leeds
- Listed buildings in Leeds (Hyde Park and Woodhouse)
