St Peter's Church, Harrogate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, Harrogate |
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St Peter's Church, Harrogate
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| OS grid reference | SE 30195 55345 |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical |
| Website | www.stpetersharrogate.org.uk |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Peter |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Harrogate |
| Diocese | Diocese of Leeds |
| Province | Province of York |
St Peter's Church, Harrogate is a special church in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. It's part of the Church of England. This church is so important that it's officially listed as a Grade II building, which means it's protected because of its history and beauty.
Contents
The Church's Story
St Peter's Church was created from an older church area called Christ Church, High Harrogate. People started collecting money to build the new church.
Building the Church
The first stone for the church was laid in April 1870. The church was designed by Mr. Hirst from Bristol. It has a main hall called a nave, which is 70 feet long and 27 feet wide. On each side of the nave are aisles, which are 15 feet 9 inches wide.
At the end of the aisles, there are parts that stick out like wings. The chancel, which is the area near the altar, is about 35 feet long and 22 feet wide. It ends in a round shape. There is also a tall tower with a spire at the west end of the church.
The church's first leader, called a vicar, was Reverend L. F. W. Foote. He was appointed in 1870. The chancel and a temporary nave were officially opened on September 10, 1871. This ceremony was led by Reverend Bishop Ryan.
Church Leaders: The Vicars
Here is a list of the vicars who have led St Peter's Church over the years:
- Lundy Edward William Foote (1870 – 1922)
- John Manstead Cunningham (1922 – 1937)
- Gascoigne Cecil Clare (1937 – 1947)
- Roger Holford Baines (1947 – 1967)
- Andrew Neville Burn Sugden (1967 – 1987)
- Anthony Michael Shepherd (1987 – 2015)
- Alan Garrow (2016 – present)
The Church Organ
St Peter's Church has a large pipe organ. This organ has changed and grown over many years. The very first organ was made by Edmund Schulze in 1867. This original organ was later moved to St Bartholomew's Church, Armley. A smaller organ was then put in St Peter's in 1869.
Over time, different companies have worked on the organ to fix and improve it. These companies include Brindley & Foster, Abbott & Smith, Binns, J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd, and Prested. You can find more details about the organ on the National Pipe Organ Register website.
Organists of St Peter's
Many talented people have played the organ at St Peter's Church. Here is a list of some of them:
- Miss Knowles
- Alfred Robinson
- Mr. Paley
- John Septimus Dickinson (1870 – ????)
- John Shaw (1879 – 1890)
- Robert Senior Burton (1890 – 1892)
- Charles Legh Naylor (1892 – 1902)
- John Pullein (1903 – 1917)
- Charles Legh Naylor (1917 – 1935)
- Jack Spencer (1935 – 1970)
- J Harry Hodgson (1970 – 1976)
- Adrian Selway (1976 – 1981)
- Ian Linford (1980 – 1984)
- Ralph S Franklin (1984 – 1987)
- Hugh Shelton (1987 – 1988)
- Nigel Holdsworth (1988 – 1993)
- Philip Wilby (1993 – 1997)
- Richard Hunt (1997 – 2003)
- Oliver Longstaff (2003 – 2012)
- John Longstaff (2012 – present)
The Church Bells
The tower of St Peter's Church has a beautiful set of eight bells. These bells were made by John Taylor in Loughborough. The bells became quite famous for a unique reason. They were the first church bells in the United Kingdom to have a special legal order placed on them because of noise.
More to Explore
- Listed buildings in Harrogate (Low Harrogate Ward)
