St Mary's in the Wood Church, Morley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary’s in the Wood Church
St Mary’s in the Wood Church, Morley
The former St Mary's in the Wood Church after fire damage
53°44′52″N 1°36′06″W / 53.747833°N 1.601534°W / 53.747833; -1.601534
OS grid reference	SE263280
Location	Morley, West Yorkshire
Country	England
Denomination	United Reformed Church
Website	https://stmarysinthewoodmorleyurc.org.uk/
Architecture
Functional status	Derelict
Style	Gothic revival

The church and spire seen from Commercial Street.

Current meeting place of the congregation on Commercial Street

Church and graveyard prior to fire

St Mary's in the Wood Church is a special building in Morley, West Yorkshire, England. It used to be a place where people from the United Reformed Church worshipped. This church was built between 1876 and 1878. It stood on the same spot where a very old church from the Middle Ages once was.

The church building was no longer used when a fire badly damaged it in 2010. After the fire, the church's Sunday School building became the new St Mary's in the Wood Church. This building was then sold to Leeds City Council in 2023. As of 2025, the small group of people who attend St Mary's in the Wood Church meet in the Wesley Room of Morley's Central Methodist Church.

The Church's Story

Early Beginnings

There has been a church on this spot for a very long time. It is located where Troy Road and Commercial Road meet today. Records from the Domesday Book, which is a very old survey from 1086, mention a church here. Parts of a chapel from the 1200s were still part of the building in the 1830s. This old building was known as "The Old Chapel."

Building a New Church

A lot of building work happened in the 1860s. However, by 1875, the church community had grown too big for the old building. So, "The Old Chapel" was taken down. A brand new church was built in its place. It was designed by architects Lockwood and Mawson. The new church cost £7000 to build and opened in 1878.

This church is now a Grade II listed building. This means it is a very important historical building. Even though much of it was destroyed, its history is still protected. The old Parsonage, which was the minister's house, was on a different piece of land on Commercial Street. It was also taken down in 1875. Between 1898 and 1900, a new Sunday School building was built on that spot. This Sunday School building is also a Grade II listed building today. It is known as "St Mary's in the Wood Church Hall."

Changes and the Fire

By 2008, the church community had become very small. They decided to sell the church building to a company that wanted to build a hotel there. The church community then moved their services to the Sunday School building. This Sunday School building was then renamed and became the new church.

The original church building was left empty until 2010. In 2010, a big fire destroyed much of the church. Only the tall spire and some burnt parts of the building were left standing.

New Homes for the Community

In 2023, Leeds City Council bought the former Sunday School building. This building was then being used as the church. The council bought it to turn it into a "learning and skills centre." This centre is run by the Luminate Education Group. This project is part of a bigger plan called Morley Town Deal. It gets money from the government's Town's Fund.

The church community held their last service in the former Sunday School building in September 2023. As of 2025, they meet for worship in the Wesley Room. This room is located in Morley Central Methodist Church.

The Graveyard

The graveyard next to the church is also very old and important. It has many Grade II listed memorials. These are old gravestones and tombs that are protected because of their history. Some of these memorials date back to 1667 and 1740. They include the Scatcherd Mausoleum, which is a special tomb, along with old grave slabs and chest tombs.

Gallery

See also

• Listed buildings in Morley, West Yorkshire