St Aidan's Church, Leeds

St Aidan's Church
Church of St Aidan (Bishop Woodford Memorial)
Coordinates: 53°48′45″N 1°31′15″W / 53.8126°N 1.5207°W / 53.8126; -1.5207
Location Leeds
Country United Kingdom
Denomination Church of England
Churchmanship Liberal Catholic
Website www.staidan-leeds.org.uk
History
Founded 1894
Specifications
Capacity 800
Administration
Parish Leeds All Souls and St Aidan
Deanery Allerton
Archdeaconry Leeds
Episcopal area Leeds
Diocese Leeds
Province York
Clergy
Rector Fr Paul Payton
Vicar(s) Mthr Alice Snowdon
Assistant priest(s) Mthr Diana Zanker SCP
Mthr Melodie Kimball
Deacon(s) Fr Clyde Rawlins
Laity
Reader(s) Mrs Caroline Pepper

St Aidan's Church in Harehills, Leeds, West Yorkshire is a Church of England parish church built in 1894. It is a large Victorian basilica-type red-brick building which is Grade II* listed. A church hall is adjacent. The architects were Johnson and Crawford Hick of Newcastle.[1]

The church was consecrated by John Pulleine, Bishop of Richmond, on 13 October 1894. The first vicar was Samuel Mumford Taylor who later became Bishop of Kingston-upon-Thames. His pastoral staff and mitres were bequeathed to the church.

The apse is decorated with 1,000 square feet (93 m2) of mosaics by Frank Brangwyn, which were completed in 1916. They show scenes from St Aidan's life: feeding the poor, in Northumbria, preaching and the death of the saint. They are said to be best viewed at noon on a sunny winters day, when they are lit by the nave windows.[1] Brangwyn was initially commissioned to decorate the church by painting, and began this in 1910. However, he was concerned that the smoky atmosphere of Harehills would destroy it, so started again with a mosaic. On the south wall, behind the altar is the scene of St Aidan preaching. The artist's initials, F. B., are subtly given in a pattern of stars.[1]

The church is unusual among Anglican parish churches in celebrating the Mass daily. It was previously in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, whose cathedral is at Ripon. However the church became part of the Diocese of Leeds in 2014.

The organ, dating from 1896, is by James Jepson Binns and is in unusual in being unmodified from its original condition.[2]

In January 2012 the parish was united with Leeds All Souls.

References

  1. 1 2 3 B. Pepper (1998) "The Mosaic of St Aidan's", pp 119-124 in L. S. Tate Aspects of Leeds ISBN 1-871647-38-X
  2. ↑ St Aidan's Leeds The Organ
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