St Peter's Church, Huddersfield Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church
Huddersfield Parish Church

53°38′50″N 1°46′51″W / 53.6472°N 1.7809°W / 53.6472; -1.7809
OS grid reference	SE1457816771
Location	Huddersfield, Kirklees
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	3 March 1952
Architect(s)	James Pigott Pritchett
Style	Gothic revival
Completed	27 October 1836
Construction cost	£10,000
Administration
Deanery	Huddersfield
Archdeaconry	Archdeaconry of Halifax
Episcopal area	Huddersfield Episcopal Area
Diocese	Diocese of Leeds
Province	Province of York

St Peter's Church, also known as Huddersfield Parish Church, is a Church of England church in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is a very old church, with a history going back to the 11th century. The building you see today was finished in 1836. It stands in the middle of Huddersfield town, close to Kirkgate. This church is considered a special historic building, given a Grade II* listing.

History of St Peter's Church
Visiting St Peter's Church
- Opening Hours and Services
- Evening Services and Community
Gallery
See also

History of St Peter's Church

Early Beginnings and Rebuilding

Legend says the very first church on this spot was built in the 11th century. A knight named Walter de Lacy supposedly built it. He decided to build the church after he survived a bad fall from his horse into a swamp.

The church was rebuilt in the 16th century. Later, from 1759 to 1771, a famous vicar named Henry Venn worked there.

Growing Town, Bigger Church Needs

In the early 1800s, Huddersfield was growing fast. This was because of the Industrial Revolution, which brought many new people to the town. The old parish church became too small for everyone.

To help with this, another church, Holy Trinity Church, opened in 1819. It was like a smaller church that helped the main parish church. Later, in 1857, Holy Trinity Church became its own parish church.

The Current Building and Its Changes

By the 1830s, the 16th-century church needed a lot of repairs. So, people decided to build a new one again. The architect for this new church was James Pigott Pritchett. Construction happened between 1834 and 1836. To save money, bricks from the old church were used. This meant some repairs were needed later because the materials were not perfect.

Over the years, more parts were added or changed.

Two small rooms called vestries were added at the east end. One was added by 1851, and another in 1879 for the choir.
Beautiful windows designed by Thomas Willement were put in in 1852.
In 1866, the stone parts of the church needed fixing.
New seats (pews) and a pulpit (where the preacher stands) were installed in 1873.
An organ was put in by a local company, Conacher and Co, in 1908. It was repaired in 1984.

From 1921 to 1923, the area around the altar (called the sanctuary) was changed. A special canopy over the altar (a baldachin) and a new east window were added. These were designed by Ninian Comper as a memorial to those who died in war. In the 1940s, another part of the church, the south transept, was redesigned. A screen made by Robert Thompson was added. In the 1980s, a new altar and raised platform (dais) were put in. Around 2012, the roof, ceiling, and tower were repaired. Other important repairs were also made, with help from a grant from English Heritage.

Notable Events at the Church

St Peter's Church has been the setting for some special events:

On June 17, 1965, Olympic athletes Anita Lonsbrough (a swimmer) and Hugh Porter (a cyclist) were married here.
On February 17, 2017, the funeral of Gorden Kaye took place at the church. He was a famous television actor from Huddersfield, known for the show 'Allo 'Allo!.

Visiting St Peter's Church

Opening Hours and Services

St Peter's Church is open to visitors on weekdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. On Saturdays, it is open from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

The church holds daily prayers on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 12:35 PM. On Wednesdays, there is a Holy Communion service at 12:35 PM in a side chapel.

On Sundays, there are two main services:

An 8:30 AM communion service using the Book of Common Prayer.
A 10:00 AM Sung Eucharist, which includes singing.

Evening Services and Community

A service called Choral Evensong is held every second Sunday at 6:30 PM during school terms.

On every fourth Sunday at 6:30 PM, there are other special services. These include 'Holy Ground', which is a more relaxed and thoughtful service. There are also services that welcome everyone and celebrate diversity, as part of the Inclusive Church network.

Many of the Sunday services, including the 10 AM Sung Eucharist and Choral Evensong, are also streamed live online. You can watch them on the Parish Church YouTube channel.

Gallery

The church in 1904
Interior in 1906

St Peter's Church, Huddersfield facts for kids

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