Holy Trinity Church, Leeds
Encyclopedia
Holy Trinity Church in Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, is a Church of England Parish Church
in the Parish of Leeds City in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds
. It was built in 1722–7, but the steeple
dates from 1839. It is a Grade I Listed building.
of Ledston
, backed by leading merchants, revived the project, and the foundation stone
of Holy Trinity was laid on 27 August, 1722.
The architect of the church was for some time believed to be William Halfpenny
. However, it has subsequently been discovered that his designs for the church, for which he was paid £1 11s 6d on 8 May 1723, were never executed, and that the architect was William Etty
of York
. A letter from William Cookson to Ralph Thoresby
dated 15 May 1723, enclosed "a draught [sic], the south front of our new church"; it was drawn by Mr. Etty of York, who has also made us a wooden modell for our workmen to go by." Etty had been paid nineteen guinea
s in April of the same year for the model, which survived into the nineteenth century.
The west tower in Halfpenny's design was topped by a square, open colonnade
with an obelisk
-shaped spire
. Etty did not envisage a spire, but a wooden one was later added by an unknown hand. The Rev. Thomas Dunham Whitaker
, Vicar of Whalley, Lancashire
, in his Loidis and Elmete (1816), remarked of this spire: "unquestionably one instance among many of private interference, by which the better judgment of real architects is often overruled, and for which they are unjustly considered as responsible." When the spire blew down in 1839, it was replaced by a taller stone steeple
of three diminishing stages (architect: Robert Dennis Chantrell
).
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, is a Church of England Parish Church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
in the Parish of Leeds City in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds
Diocese of Ripon and Leeds
The Diocese of Ripon and Leeds is an administrative division of the Church of England, part of the Province of York. It covers an area in western and northern Yorkshire as well as the south Teesdale area administered by County Durham which is traditionally part of Yorkshire...
. It was built in 1722–7, but the steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
dates from 1839. It is a Grade I Listed building.
History and architecture
A 1714 proposal that a new church should be erected in central Leeds foundered for lack of subscribers, but, in 1722, Lady Elizabeth HastingsLady Elizabeth Hastings
Lady Elizabeth Hastings , known as Lady Betty, was a benefactor and the daughter of the 7th Earl of Huntingdon. Her brother George became the 8th Earl. On her father's death in 1701 her brother passed on to her the estate of Ledston or Ledstone Hall, near Castleford, West Yorkshire, and she lived...
of Ledston
Ledston
Ledston is a village and civil parish north of Castleford and east of Leeds in the county of West Yorkshire, England. The village is in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough...
, backed by leading merchants, revived the project, and the foundation stone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
of Holy Trinity was laid on 27 August, 1722.
The architect of the church was for some time believed to be William Halfpenny
William Halfpenny
William Halfpenny was an English 18th-century architectural designer; in some of his publications he described himself as "architect and carpenter". He also wrote under the name of Michael Hoare.-Life and architectural work:...
. However, it has subsequently been discovered that his designs for the church, for which he was paid £1 11s 6d on 8 May 1723, were never executed, and that the architect was William Etty
William Etty (architect)
William Etty was an English architect and craftsman, best known for designing Holy Trinity Church, Leeds and Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland.-Life and work:...
of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. A letter from William Cookson to Ralph Thoresby
Ralph Thoresby
Ralph Thoresby , born in Leeds and is widely credited with being the first historian of that city. He was besides a merchant, non-conformist, fellow of the Royal Society, diarist, author, common-councilman in the Corporation of Leeds, and museum keeper.-Upbringing:Ralph Thoresby was the son of John...
dated 15 May 1723, enclosed "a draught [sic], the south front of our new church"; it was drawn by Mr. Etty of York, who has also made us a wooden modell for our workmen to go by." Etty had been paid nineteen guinea
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
s in April of the same year for the model, which survived into the nineteenth century.
The west tower in Halfpenny's design was topped by a square, open colonnade
Colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
with an obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
-shaped spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
. Etty did not envisage a spire, but a wooden one was later added by an unknown hand. The Rev. Thomas Dunham Whitaker
Thomas Dunham Whitaker
Thomas Dunham Whitaker was an English clergyman and topographer.-Life:Born at Rainham on 8 June 1759, he was son of William Whitaker , curate of Rainham, Norfolk, by his wife Lucy, daughter of Robert Dunham, and widow of Ambrose Allen...
, Vicar of Whalley, Lancashire
Whalley, Lancashire
Whalley is a large village in the Ribble Valley on the banks of the River Calder in Lancashire, England. It is overlooked by Whalley Nab, a large picturesque wooded hill over the river from the village....
, in his Loidis and Elmete (1816), remarked of this spire: "unquestionably one instance among many of private interference, by which the better judgment of real architects is often overruled, and for which they are unjustly considered as responsible." When the spire blew down in 1839, it was replaced by a taller stone steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
of three diminishing stages (architect: Robert Dennis Chantrell
Robert Dennis Chantrell
Robert Dennis Chantrell was an English church architect, best-known today for designing Leeds Parish Church.- Early career :Chantrell was born in Newington, Southwark, London...
).