St Margaret of Antioch Church, Leeds
Encyclopedia
The former St Margaret of Antioch's Church building is situated on Cardigan Road, Headingley
, West Yorkshire, England, near Burley Park railway station. It is a good example of Late Gothic Revival church architecture
, and it was built in the first few years of the twentieth century, being consecrated in 1909. It was built in the Parish of Burley
to serve the population of the newly built red-brick terrace houses in the area, part of the late Victorian
expansion of Leeds
. Whilst a functioning Anglican Church, it had an Anglo-Catholic flavour. It is a Grade II* listed building, and was designed by Temple Lushington Moore
. It has been rescued from dereliction by a group of local Christians who are turning it into an arts and creative space called Left Bank.
The iron church building was dedicated for use in March 1898 by Archdeacon
Kilner, and for years served as the church building, Sunday school
room and social venue. It was very hot in the summer, and right from the start, raising funds for a permanent church building were discussed.
The first edition of the monthly parish magazine was in January 1899, for which subscriptions were sought, and around 800 were taken up. The parish decided it needed a separate Sunday school building as a priority, which was finally finished at Easter 1900, just in time for the Easter Parochial Tea.
The following years saw greater efforts at fund-raising for the permanent building, which included bazaars held in Leeds Town Hall
, door to door canvassing and requests to neighbouring businesses and parishes, as well as the diocese itself.
The money was raised, and architect Temple Moore was commissioned from 1901. The foundation stone was laid on 26 October 1907, the first phase of the building (with an unfinished west end) was completed in 1908, and consecrated in the following year. The first wedding in the newly consecrated church was on Easter Monday
, 1909.
It is widely regarded as a particularly fine example of the Late Gothic Revival style and of Temple Moore’s work. This later led to the building being accorded Grade II* listed building status. Temple Moore had also designed a vicarage and a First World War memorial
, neither of which were built.
In 1911 St Margaret’s became a separate parish.
Parish life carried on in the building, with all the usual events and groups that are associated with Anglican parishes – Sunday services, baptisms, marriages and deaths, men’s society, confirmation classes, musical society, bazaars, Mothers Union, Whitsun
parades, and groups for children and teachers, as well as the annual parochial excursion which usually took place around St Margaret of Antioch’s feast day, 20 July.
The new vicar, Rev B. Combe, wrote in 1920 in the parish magazine:
In 1959 a Jubilee Building Fund was launched, with the intention of completing the church building. The original Temple Moore plans were deemed too ornate and expensive, and so the architect G.G. Pace from York
, who was a great admirer of Moore’s work, designed the current west end which was completed in 1963. Sir John Betjeman knew and admired the building, especially the interior.
With changes in demographics in the local area, and a more transient population, a deepening relationship and possible amalgamation with All Hallows Parish was mooted, but it didn’t come to pass. Neither did a suggested amalgamation with t Michael and All Angels Church, Headingley|St Michael's, Headingley.
During the 1940s to the 1960s, the church played host to the Orthodox Liturgy and Communion in Slovak, the Polish Orthodox Church
and the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile
, as well renting a local house for Belgian refugees during the First World War. Throughout these years, until the 1970s, the tradition of the church and its services was maintained as Anglo-Catholic.
The congregation declined in number, and by the mid nineties were down to only a few.
by the Church Commissioners
in March 1995. In 2001 the St Margaret’s building was bought by a local congregation of Christians, who wanted to see the building used again and not fall into further ruin. It was used occasionally for special events and services but because of damage to the roof and an infestation of pigeons, the building became a health hazard and unfit for use. English Heritage
funded essential building repairs as it was on the listed Buildings At Risk Register.
A steering group was formed to look at ways of bringing the building back into use and slowly a future vision came into focus. The building is now called Left Bank. The building is often open during English Heritage
’s Heritage Open Days.
Curates:
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road...
, West Yorkshire, England, near Burley Park railway station. It is a good example of Late Gothic Revival church architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, and it was built in the first few years of the twentieth century, being consecrated in 1909. It was built in the Parish of Burley
Burley, Leeds
Burley is a suburb of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, characterised by the red brick terraced housing, much of which was built in the period 1899 - 1903 and green spaces. Sometimes called 'The Cardigan Triangle , it stretches north from the main Kirkstall Road, towards Hyde Park and...
to serve the population of the newly built red-brick terrace houses in the area, part of the late Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
expansion of Leeds
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...
. Whilst a functioning Anglican Church, it had an Anglo-Catholic flavour. It is a Grade II* listed building, and was designed by Temple Lushington Moore
Temple Lushington Moore
Temple Lushington Moore was an architect working in the Gothic revival style.-Personal life:He was the son of Captain George Frederick Moore and Charlotte Reilly ....
. It has been rescued from dereliction by a group of local Christians who are turning it into an arts and creative space called Left Bank.
1897–1910 Fund raising and Temple Moore
The first church on the site was an iron building, temporarily erected to serve the newly built houses in the surrounding area. The first vicar was Rev A.H Kelk who took possession of the parsonage in 1897.The iron church building was dedicated for use in March 1898 by Archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
Kilner, and for years served as the church building, Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
room and social venue. It was very hot in the summer, and right from the start, raising funds for a permanent church building were discussed.
The first edition of the monthly parish magazine was in January 1899, for which subscriptions were sought, and around 800 were taken up. The parish decided it needed a separate Sunday school building as a priority, which was finally finished at Easter 1900, just in time for the Easter Parochial Tea.
The following years saw greater efforts at fund-raising for the permanent building, which included bazaars held in Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane , Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.-Background:...
, door to door canvassing and requests to neighbouring businesses and parishes, as well as the diocese itself.
The money was raised, and architect Temple Moore was commissioned from 1901. The foundation stone was laid on 26 October 1907, the first phase of the building (with an unfinished west end) was completed in 1908, and consecrated in the following year. The first wedding in the newly consecrated church was on Easter Monday
Easter Monday
Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and is celebrated as a holiday in some largely Christian cultures, especially Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox cultures...
, 1909.
It is widely regarded as a particularly fine example of the Late Gothic Revival style and of Temple Moore’s work. This later led to the building being accorded Grade II* listed building status. Temple Moore had also designed a vicarage and a First World War memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
, neither of which were built.
1910 – mid 1990s
The front (west) end was never completed to Moore’s plans – it was originally designed to have a huge tower and would have had something simple and easily removable for whenever works on that were to start.In 1911 St Margaret’s became a separate parish.
Parish life carried on in the building, with all the usual events and groups that are associated with Anglican parishes – Sunday services, baptisms, marriages and deaths, men’s society, confirmation classes, musical society, bazaars, Mothers Union, Whitsun
Whitsun
Whitsun is the name used in the UK for the Christian festival of Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples...
parades, and groups for children and teachers, as well as the annual parochial excursion which usually took place around St Margaret of Antioch’s feast day, 20 July.
The new vicar, Rev B. Combe, wrote in 1920 in the parish magazine:
“I am learning every week to understand better your pride in St Margaret’s Church. For every week shews me new beauties in the building, and I am now almost used to being introduced to fellow clergy with such additional remarks as: “S Margaret’s – it’s the finest Church in Leeds.” Its stern grandeur in LentLentIn the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
, followed by its glory on Easter Day, was almost over-powering.”
In 1959 a Jubilee Building Fund was launched, with the intention of completing the church building. The original Temple Moore plans were deemed too ornate and expensive, and so the architect G.G. Pace from 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...
, who was a great admirer of Moore’s work, designed the current west end which was completed in 1963. Sir John Betjeman knew and admired the building, especially the interior.
With changes in demographics in the local area, and a more transient population, a deepening relationship and possible amalgamation with All Hallows Parish was mooted, but it didn’t come to pass. Neither did a suggested amalgamation with t Michael and All Angels Church, Headingley|St Michael's, Headingley.
During the 1940s to the 1960s, the church played host to the Orthodox Liturgy and Communion in Slovak, the Polish Orthodox Church
Polish Orthodox Church
The Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, commonly known as the Polish Orthodox Church, , is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Churches in full communion...
and the Russian Orthodox Church in Exile
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia , also called the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, ROCA, or ROCOR) is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church....
, as well renting a local house for Belgian refugees during the First World War. Throughout these years, until the 1970s, the tradition of the church and its services was maintained as Anglo-Catholic.
The congregation declined in number, and by the mid nineties were down to only a few.
Mid nineties – present
The church was declared redundantRedundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
by the Church Commissioners
Church Commissioners
The Church Commissioners is a body managing the historic property assets of the Church of England. It was set up in 1948 combining the assets of Queen Anne's Bounty, a fund dating from 1704 for the relief of poor clergy, and of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners formed in 1836...
in March 1995. In 2001 the St Margaret’s building was bought by a local congregation of Christians, who wanted to see the building used again and not fall into further ruin. It was used occasionally for special events and services but because of damage to the roof and an infestation of pigeons, the building became a health hazard and unfit for use. English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
funded essential building repairs as it was on the listed Buildings At Risk Register.
A steering group was formed to look at ways of bringing the building back into use and slowly a future vision came into focus. The building is now called Left Bank. The building is often open during English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
’s Heritage Open Days.
Incumbents
Vicars:- 1897 – May 1919 the Revd Arthur Hastings Kelk (previously Anglican Chaplain in Beirout, subsequently the Parish of Goldsborough)
- 1919 – June 1925 Revd Robert Combe (previously British Columbia, Canada, subsequently Cape Town, South Africa)
- Nov 1925 – June 1944 Revd Frank Callister (previously St Edmund’s, Leeds, subsequently Vicar of Bardsey)
- Sept 1944–1948 Revd Herbert William Figgess (previously St Wilfrid’s Harrogate subsequently Fiji)
- Nov 1948 – Sept 1953 Fr Philip John Lyndon (previously chaplain to the Royal Australian Air Force, subsequently to St Aidan’s, Harehills)
- Jan 1954 – March 1964 Fr Philip Reginald Shepherd (previously Vicar of Bramham, subsequently Shepton Beauchamp, Somerset)
- Oct 1964 – July 1973 Fr Kenneth Whitfield (previously Area Secretary for the Universities Mission to Central Africa, subsequently Chaplain to the Community of St Peter, Horbury)
- Jan 1974 – Nov 1981 Fr David Curtis Broome (previously from St Margaret’s, Leigh on Sea)
- Revd Stanley Baxter
Curates:
- Sept 1899–1903 Revd HS Footman
- 1904–1906 DJB Lewis
- 1907–1909 AJ Alexander
- 1912–1916 FG Badrick
- 1920–1925 Revd GRJ Round
- 1925–1926 (Priest in charge) Revd Alex W Cook
- 1930–1931 Revd WC Middleton
- 1931–1933 (approx) Sister Alder
- 1933–1935 (approx) Deaconess Gwendolene Bowman
- 1951–1954 Deacon Revd John Denys Taylor
- 1957–1960 Fr John P Beaumont
- 1960–1962 Fr Raymond Reynolds
- 1966–1967 Fr Malcolm Alflatt
Architectural and interior features still existing
- WWI memorial, dedicated and unveiled 12 February 1923, (intact, now moved to SW corner)
- Stained glass window (east end)
- Plaques
- Choir stalls designed and installed by Leslie Moore (intact)
- High altar, dedicated in its current form 1950