St Peter's Church, Stanley, West Yorkshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church |
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| Church of Saint Peter | |
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 St Peter's Church
Location in West Yorkshire
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| 53°42′55″N 1°28′26″W / 53.7152°N 1.4740°W | |
| Location | Aberford Road, Stanley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | Parish Church |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed building |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1821 |
| Completed | 1824 |
| Construction cost | £12,000 |
| Closed | 2001 |
| Demolished | 2014 |
St Peter's Church was a Church of England church located in Stanley, a town near Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. This church first opened its doors in 1824. It closed in 2001 and was later taken down in 2014 because it had fallen into disrepair.
Contents
History of St Peter's Church
The building of St Peter's Church began in 1821 and finished in 1824. It was designed by an architect named Peter Atkinson Junior. The first time it was built, it cost about £12,000.
Fire and Rebuilding
On February 18, 1911, a big fire badly damaged the church. Only the outer walls were left standing. But the community worked to rebuild it. The church was fully repaired and reopened in July 1913.
Church on Television
St Peter's Church was used for filming a TV show called The Beiderbecke Affair. The inside of the church and its crypt (an underground room) were shown as the 'Parish Church of St Matthew'. However, the outside scenes of that church were filmed at St Mark's Church in Woodhouse, Leeds.
Church Design and Style
St Peter's Church was built in the Gothic Revival style. This means it looked like older Gothic churches from the Middle Ages.
Outside Features
The church was made of ashlar, which is finely cut stone. Its roof was covered with slate tiles from Wales. It had two tall, eight-sided towers on its west side. The main part of the church, called the nave, had six sections. A small room called a vestry was later added to the south side. There was also an outside entrance that led to the crypt.
Inside Features
Inside, the church had a very tall nave with six arched sections. The roofs over the aisles (side passages) and the chancel (the area around the altar) were made of wood and looked like vaults. There was also a separate chapel on the south side. The church had a special carved stone font (a basin for baptisms) with an oak cover added in 1916. It also featured decorative stone patterns and a pointed spire.
Closure and Demolition
By 2001, the church needed a lot of repairs, estimated to cost £1 million, to make it safe. Because of this, the church leaders decided to close the building.
Efforts to Save the Church
After a plan to sell the church to a developer didn't work out, the decision was made to take the building down. Some people and groups, like the Victorian Society and the Ancient Monuments Society, tried to save the church. They asked the government to hold a public meeting to discuss its future, but this did not happen.
Missing Carvings Controversy
A problem came up when 16 special wooden carvings, called misericords, went missing. These carvings showed the 16 stages of creation and were made by HP Jackson in the 1920s. They were removed by workers and later appeared for sale online and at a dealer in London.
New Location for the Church
After the original building closed, St Peter's Church moved to a smaller building. This new location is on Lake Lock Road and has been its home since December 2001.
