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 | £12,001 |
| 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. It first opened its doors in 1824. Sadly, the church 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 started 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.
A big fire happened on February 18, 1911, which badly damaged the church. Only the outer walls were left standing. The church was then rebuilt between 1911 and 1913, and it reopened in July 1913.
St Peter's Church on TV
St Peter's Church was used in a TV show called The Beiderbecke Affair. The inside of the church and its crypt (an underground room) were filmed there. However, the outside scenes of the 'Parish Church of St Matthew' in the show were filmed at St Mark's Church in Woodhouse, Leeds.
Architectural Style and Design
St Peter's Church was known for its Gothic Revival style. This means it looked like older churches from the Gothic period, but it was built much later.
Outside Appearance
The church was built using ashlar, which are finely cut stones. Its roof was made of Welsh slate. On the west side, there were two tall, eight-sided towers. The main part of the church, called the nave, had six sections. A smaller room, called a vestry, was added later on the south side. There was also an outside entrance to the crypt.
Inside the Church
Inside, the church had a very tall nave with six arched sections. The roofs over the aisles (side passages) and the chancel (the area near the altar) had wooden vaulting, which looked like arched ceilings. There was also a separate south chapel. 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
In 2001, the church leaders realized that St Peter's Church needed about £1 million worth of repairs to be safe. Because of this high cost, they decided to close the church.
After the closure, there was a plan for a developer to fix the building, but this plan did not work out. After talking to the public, the decision was made to take down the building. Some groups, like the Victorian Society and the Ancient Monuments Society, tried to save the church. They asked a government official, Eric Pickles, to stop the demolition, but it still went ahead.
A problem happened when 16 special wooden carvings, called misericords, were removed from the church. These carvings showed the 16 stages of creation and were made by HP Jackson in the 1920s. They were later found for sale online and at a dealer in London, causing some controversy.
Where the Church Moved To
After the original building was demolished, St Peter's Church moved to a new, smaller location. It is now at its former church center on Lake Lock Road, where it has been since December 2001.
Images for kids
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St Peter's Church in Stanley, West Yorkshire.
