St Michael and All Angels Church, Shelf, West Yorkshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Michael and All Angels Church |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Michael |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Shelf |
| Deanery | Bradford |
| Archdeaconry | Bradford |
| Episcopal area | Bradford |
| Diocese | Leeds |
| Province | York |
St. Michael and All Angels Church is a special church located in Shelf, a village in West Yorkshire, England. It is named after Saint Michael, an important figure in Christian beliefs.
Contents
A Look at the Church's Past
The church was built thanks to a generous gift from John Hardy. He was a major owner of the Low Moor Ironworks, a big factory that made iron. The church was officially opened and ready for use on June 14, 1850.
Famous People Connected to the Church
The vicarage, which is the home for the church's vicar (a type of priest), has been home to some interesting people.
- Lucius Smith, who later became the first Bishop of Knaresborough, was born there in 1860. His father was the vicar at the time.
- Kathleen Hale, a famous author, also lived at the vicarage from 1903 to 1905. She wrote a popular series of children's books about a character called Orlando the Marmalade Cat. While living there with her grandfather, she became very interested in plants, flowers, and drawing. This interest later helped her with her books.
Changes Over the Years
The church building was made larger in 1984 to create more space. Later, on April 1, 1994, the church in Shelf joined with another church, St Aidan in Buttershaw. Now, both churches are part of the same parish, called Shelf with Buttershaw Parish. They hold church services on Sundays and during the week.
The Church Building and Its Design
The church building was designed by two architects, James Mallinson and Thomas Healey.
Key Features of the Church
- The church has a porch on its north side.
- It also has a small tower, called a turret, which holds two bells.
- An organ was first put into the church in 1858. A special room for the organ, called an organ chamber, was added in 1880.
Art and Decorations Inside
The church is decorated with beautiful sculptures made by an artist named Robert Mawer.
- You can see carved heads on the stone edges around the windows and the main entrance archway.
- Inside, there are carved angels that help support the roof.
- The stone pillars that hold up the arch leading to the altar (chancel arch) have fancy flower designs carved into their tops.
- The font, which is a basin used for baptisms, is also carved with many angels. It has special words carved around its top and base.
