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1. The History
The parish church was built in 1870 by W.H. Crossland (1823-1909), architect from Leeds. He began his career as a pupil of Sir George Gilbert Scott, built several Yorkshire churches in the Decorated style, and also undertook important secular commissions, including Rochdale Town Hall and Holloway College at Egham, Surrey. The building was put out to tender in March 1869, with the stone-laying ceremony on 21st July the following year. The church was completed at a cost of £4,167 and had a capacity of 550 seated worshippers. Consecration took place ten years later on 10th August 1880. sittings at a cost of, was built of stone.
Build with coursed sandstone from the local Crosland Hill quarries with graded-slate roofs, it has an aisled nave with south porch, south transept and west choir vestry, chancel with south vestry and south transeptal organ chamber, and north chapel continuous with nave aisle. Above the main door is a well-weathered sculpted figure of Christ in a mandorla, surrounded by vines.
The west choir vestry was added in 1914 by Huddersfield architect William Cooper. Things of note internally are the foliage capitals on corbelled shafts and the relatively good conditioned hammer beam roof. Most of the fixtures and features had been removed by 2003, however, a font with hemispherical bowl on a stem remains. The church became redundant in 1975, but was used by a local Roman-Catholic congregation until circa 2001. It was Grade II listed in September 1978 due to it being "a well-designed and prominently sited former parish church retaining C19 character and detail."
The former church property has previously been put up for sale and planning permission was granted in 2008 for change of use to a restaurant. Little has happened since then and it’s not even clear who currently owns the building (although James Robinson Ltd have been rumoured to own it) and it cuts a sorry sight, surrounded by new developments including a Costa Coffee and a hotel.
2. The Explore
Not a stranger to reports, this delightful church is an easy and relaxed explore. The best bits are the external stone work (although some of this is fastly crumbling), the stained-glass windows and some of the roof. Hopefully someone will take the place on and make it into something that prolongs its life before it get too vandalised, or, worse still, burnt down.
3. The Pictures
A few externals first. Main entrance:
St Andrews 13 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0364 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Full-frontal:
St Andrews 12 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0370 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0367 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0369 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0361 by HughieDW, on Flickr
In we go:
General view looking East:
St Andrews 07 by HughieDW, on Flickr
..and West:
St Andrews 06 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And that ceiling, still in decent nick:
St Andrews 03 by HughieDW, on Flickr
A few of the benches remain:
St Andrews 05 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Some lovely tiling on the floor:
St Andrews 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr
One of the rather ornate foliage capitals:
St Andrews 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0352bw by HughieDW, on Flickr
That font with hemispherical bowl
St Andrews 10 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Some sort of wooden lectern and stained glass window in the back-ground:
St Andrews 11 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Some simple but stylish wooden cupboards:
St Andrews 08 by HughieDW, on Flickr
St Andrews 09 by HughieDW, on Flickr
A few other details:
img0357 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0355 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0342 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img0348 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The parish church was built in 1870 by W.H. Crossland (1823-1909), architect from Leeds. He began his career as a pupil of Sir George Gilbert Scott, built several Yorkshire churches in the Decorated style, and also undertook important secular commissions, including Rochdale Town Hall and Holloway College at Egham, Surrey. The building was put out to tender in March 1869, with the stone-laying ceremony on 21st July the following year. The church was completed at a cost of £4,167 and had a capacity of 550 seated worshippers. Consecration took place ten years later on 10th August 1880. sittings at a cost of, was built of stone.
Build with coursed sandstone from the local Crosland Hill quarries with graded-slate roofs, it has an aisled nave with south porch, south transept and west choir vestry, chancel with south vestry and south transeptal organ chamber, and north chapel continuous with nave aisle. Above the main door is a well-weathered sculpted figure of Christ in a mandorla, surrounded by vines.
The west choir vestry was added in 1914 by Huddersfield architect William Cooper. Things of note internally are the foliage capitals on corbelled shafts and the relatively good conditioned hammer beam roof. Most of the fixtures and features had been removed by 2003, however, a font with hemispherical bowl on a stem remains. The church became redundant in 1975, but was used by a local Roman-Catholic congregation until circa 2001. It was Grade II listed in September 1978 due to it being "a well-designed and prominently sited former parish church retaining C19 character and detail."
The former church property has previously been put up for sale and planning permission was granted in 2008 for change of use to a restaurant. Little has happened since then and it’s not even clear who currently owns the building (although James Robinson Ltd have been rumoured to own it) and it cuts a sorry sight, surrounded by new developments including a Costa Coffee and a hotel.
2. The Explore
Not a stranger to reports, this delightful church is an easy and relaxed explore. The best bits are the external stone work (although some of this is fastly crumbling), the stained-glass windows and some of the roof. Hopefully someone will take the place on and make it into something that prolongs its life before it get too vandalised, or, worse still, burnt down.
3. The Pictures
A few externals first. Main entrance:
St Andrews 13 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg0364 by HughieDW, on FlickrFull-frontal:
St Andrews 12 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg0370 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg0367 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg0369 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg0361 by HughieDW, on FlickrIn we go:
General view looking East:
St Andrews 07 by HughieDW, on Flickr..and West:
St Andrews 06 by HughieDW, on FlickrAnd that ceiling, still in decent nick:
St Andrews 03 by HughieDW, on FlickrA few of the benches remain:
St Andrews 05 by HughieDW, on FlickrSome lovely tiling on the floor:
St Andrews 04 by HughieDW, on FlickrOne of the rather ornate foliage capitals:
St Andrews 01 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg0352bw by HughieDW, on FlickrThat font with hemispherical bowl
St Andrews 10 by HughieDW, on FlickrSome sort of wooden lectern and stained glass window in the back-ground:
St Andrews 11 by HughieDW, on FlickrSome simple but stylish wooden cupboards:
St Andrews 08 by HughieDW, on FlickrSt Andrews 09 by HughieDW, on FlickrA few other details:
img0357 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg0355 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg0342 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg0348 by HughieDW, on Flickr
