St Peter and St Leonard's Church, Horbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Horbury Church |
|
|---|---|
| The Parish Church of St Peter, Horbury | |
Horbury Parish Church
|
|
| 53°39′40″N 1°33′17″W / 53.6610°N 1.5548°W | |
| Location | Horbury, West Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Traditional Anglo-Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Parish Church |
| Founded | Anglo Saxon origins |
| Dedication | St Peter and St Leonard |
| Consecrated | 1794 (present church) |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed building |
| Architect(s) | John Carr |
| Style | Georgian (architecture) |
| Groundbreaking | 1790 |
| Completed | 1794 |
| Construction cost | £8,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Horbury |
| Diocese | Diocese of Leeds |
| Province | Province of York |
St Peter and St Leonard's Church in Horbury, West Yorkshire, England, is a very old and important building. People often call it St Peter's. It is an active Church of England parish church. This means it's a local church where people go to worship.
The church stands on a site that has been used for worship for a very long time. There was likely an Anglo-Saxon church here before the Normans arrived in 1066. Around 1100, a Norman church was built. The church you see today was finished in 1794. It was designed by a local architect named John Carr. It's a famous local building and is recognized as a Grade I listed building by English Heritage, which means it's a very important historical site.
What is the History of Horbury Church?
Horbury was once a small chapel connected to All Saints Church in Wakefield. It probably had a chapel even before the Normans took over England in 1066.
When Was the First Church Built?
In 1106, Earl Warenne, who was the Lord of the Manor of Wakefield, built a church in the Norman style. This early church had a tower, a main area called a nave, and a small chancel (the part of the church near the altar).
What Old Traditions Did the Church Have?
In 1509, a man named William Amyas left money for the "belles of Horbury Church." One special tradition was the "Devil's Knell." On Christmas morning, after midnight, the largest bell would ring for an hour. Then, four strikes would sound, followed by one strike for every year since the birth of Christ. This tradition is no longer practiced in Horbury, but it still happens in Dewsbury.
Church records also show that two soldiers were buried here after the Battle of Wakefield.
Who Built the Current Church?
In the late 1780s, John Carr, a famous architect, offered to build a new church for Horbury. He grew up in Horbury and his father was a stonemason. John Carr paid for the new church himself! It cost about £8,000, which was a huge amount of money back then. He also spent another £2,000 on the bells and organ.
The first stone for the new church was laid in 1790. The church officially opened in 1794.
How Has the Church Changed Over Time?
Over the years, parts of the church have been added or rebuilt:
- In 1884, a vestry (a room for clergy and church items) was built.
- In 1899, the round part (rotunda) and the tall, pointed top (spire) were rebuilt. More bells were also added at this time.
- In 1920, a chapel was added on the south side to remember those who fought in the First World War.
What About Other Churches in the Area?
In 1864, a small mission church, now called St John's Horbury Bridge, started in a room that is now the Post Office. The curate (a type of priest) at that time, Sabine Baring-Gould, wrote the famous hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" in 1865. He wrote it for a special procession to Horbury Church on Whitsun (a Christian holiday).
Another mission was set up in Horbury Junction in 1887. This was later replaced by St Mary's Church in 1893.
What is Horbury Church Like Today?
Today, Horbury Church follows the Anglo-Catholic tradition within the Church of England. This means it has a style of worship that is similar to some older Christian traditions. Because the church does not agree with the ordination of women as priests, it receives special guidance from the Bishop of Wakefield, currently Tony Robinson.
What Does Horbury Church Look Like?
The church is built from local ashlar sandstone, which is a type of finely cut stone. It has a grey slate roof and is designed in the Classical style, which means it uses ideas from ancient Greek and Roman buildings.
The Outside of the Church
The church has a square tower on its west side. This tower gets smaller in four steps. On top of the tower is a round structure called a rotunda with columns, and a small, pointed spire.
- The bottom part of the tower is made of smooth stone and has round and square "blind windows" (windows that are just for decoration).
- The second part has a rougher stone finish and clocks on all four sides.
- The third part has round-arched openings for the bells.
- The fourth part is similar, with columns.
The main part of the church, called the nave, has five sections and octagonal (eight-sided) ends. It also has north and south wings with three sections each. The nave has tall, round-arched windows.
The south wing has four Ionic columns that support a triangular shape called a pediment. This pediment is above a central double-door, which also has its own small pediment. There are round-arched windows on the ground floor and square windows above them. The north wing is simpler, with a central entrance that has a decorative frame and pediment.
The vestry is on the north-east side. It has a round-arched entrance and door, with decorative pillars on either side that support a frieze (a decorated band) and a cornice (a decorative molding). There is also a chapel on the south-east side.
A special message is carved into the pediment: HANC AEDEM SACRAH PIETATIS IN DEUM ET AMORIS IN SOLUM NATALE MONIMENTUM PROPRIIS SUMPTIBUS EXTRUXIT JOANNES CARR ARCHITECTUS ANNO CHRISTI MDCCXC1 GLORIA DEO IN EXCELSIS. This means: "John Carr, architect, built this sacred building as a monument of piety towards God and love for his native soil, at his own expense, in the year of Christ 1791. Glory to God in the highest."
The Inside of the Church
Inside, the different sections of the church are marked by decorative Corinthian pillars. There is a gallery (a raised area) at the west end with a paneled front, where the organ is located. This gallery is supported by Tuscan columns. The ceiling is gently curved, like a shallow vault, and has a fancy frieze that ends in a curved shape.
What is Inside the Church?
- Bells: The tower holds eight bells. Five of them were made in 1792 by Thomas Mears. The other three were made in 1899 by Mears & Stainbank at the famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
- Seating: The church has straight-backed pews (long benches) with rounded ends.
- Communion Rail: The rail around the altar is made of green and brown marble.
- Pulpit: There is an eight-sided pulpit (where the sermon is given) from 1917. It was given to remember Richard and Martha Ann Popplewell.
- Memorials: You can find memorials to John Carr and his family in the chancel. John Carr was buried in a special underground vault. This vault was forgotten until 1950, when it was discovered during repairs to the vestry floor. Some of his nephew's family were also buried there.
- Hatchment: Above a door, there is a Funerary hatchment for John Carr of Carr Lodge. This is a special shield that shows the family's coat of arms.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in West Yorkshire
- Listed buildings in Horbury and South Ossett
