St Mary's Church, Harrogate facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Harrogate
St Mary's Church, Westcliffe Grove, Harrogate
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OS grid reference	SE294547
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Evangelical
Website	[1]
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II* listed
Architect(s)	Walter Tapper
Completed	1916
Administration
Parish	Harrogate
Diocese	Leeds

St Mary's Church, Harrogate, is a historic building in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. It is a very special building, officially recognized for its history and beauty with a Grade II* listed status. It used to be a regular parish church, but it is now considered a "redundant" church. This means it is no longer used for its original purpose. However, a new church called Kairos Church now uses the former church hall for its services.

History of St Mary's Church

Back in 1822, people living in Low Harrogate really needed a place to worship. The people of Pannal, a nearby town, agreed to help raise money. They decided to contribute £500 from their local taxes to help build a church.

The first stone for the original Anglican St Mary's Church in Low Harrogate was placed on September 4, 1822. Reverend R.R. Hunter, the vicar of Pannal, led the ceremony. Many visitors and local residents were there to watch. It was a simple building, paid for by a special government fund called the Million Act. The church was built in 1824 and officially opened for services in 1825. It could hold 800 people and became a local church area in 1830. Sadly, by 1903, the building was no longer safe to use.

A new church was built to replace the old one. This is the building you see today. It was finished in 1916 at the current location. The famous architect Walter Tapper designed it. He used a style called 14th-century English gothic, which means it looks like churches built in England during the 1300s.

In 2007, the church stopped being a regular parish church because it needed a lot of repairs. However, it was given a new life by Mark Carey. It became a "fresh expression" of the church, still part of the Church of England, but now serving all of Harrogate. It was renamed Kairos Church. This new church now meets in Westcliffe Hall, which is right across from the old St Mary's building. It has a lively group of people who attend services.

The old St Mary's Church building is now owned by Shaw and Jagger Architects.

Lofthouse Memorial

Inside the church, there is a special stone room called the south chapel. This room has a tomb and a memorial dedicated to Richard Chapman Lofthouse. He lived from 1832 to 1907. Richard Lofthouse was a Deputy Surgeon General in the British Army. He was the person who helped start this church. He also served in important wars like the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny.

Church Bells

The church tower once held a set of 8 bells. They were made in 1916 by John Taylor & Co from Loughborough. The largest bell, called the tenor bell, weighed about 16 hundredweight (which is about 813 kilograms).

After the church was no longer used for regular services, the four heaviest bells were taken down. These bells are now in the Grote Kerk of Dordrecht in the Netherlands. Along with six new bells made in Europe, they form the first set of change ringing church bells in the Netherlands. They are also the heaviest set of change ringing bells on the European mainland.

Church Organ

The first organ in the church was put in place in 1895 by James Jepson Binns. This organ was later replaced in 1919 with a new one made by Harrison and Harrison. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Organ Players

Here are some of the people who played the organ at St Mary's Church:

• J. E. W. Lord (starting 1894) – He used to be the organist at Bridlington Priory.
• J. C. Stephenson, ARCO (around 1912)
• A. Beaumont, FRCO (1915 – 1946)
• Harold Mills (around 1954)