Old St Matthew's Church, Lightcliffe
Encyclopedia
Old St Matthew's Church, Lightcliffe, is a former church in the village of Lightcliffe
, West Yorkshire
, England, of which only the tower remains. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches
.
style in 1775, and designed by William Mallinson of Halifax
. It was replaced in the late 19th century by a new church a short distance away. The old church was then used as a mortuary chapel. It was severely damaged by a storm in the 1960s and its fabric deteriorated and the church suffered from vandalism. The Bishop of Wakefield
wanted to have the whole church demolished. After negotiation, it was agreed that the diocese would pay for the demolition of the body of the church, while the Friends of Friendless Churches would be responsible for financing the repair and restoration of the tower. The Friends were granted a 99-year lease on the tower on 1 January 1974. The repair work was carried out by Marshalls of Elland
and it was supervised by the Gothic
expert Dr John Harvey. Further repairs were carried out in 1990 at a cost of £5,800.
dressings. On the west face is a round-headed window with a circular window above. At belfry
level is inscribed stone taken from an earlier church on the site. At the top of the tower is an octagonal cupola
with a ball finial
. Inside the tower are an inscribed stone dated 1529, benefaction boards, and a monument from 1830 designed by Richard Westmacott
.
Lightcliffe
Lightcliffe is a village in West Yorkshire, England.Situated approximately three miles east of Halifax in the metropolitan district of Calderdale....
, 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....
, England, of which only the tower remains. It has been designated by 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...
as a Grade II listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches is a registered charity active in England and Wales. It campaigns for and rescues redundant historic churches threatened by demolition, decay, or inappropriate conversion. To that end, as of August 2010, it owns 43 former churches or chapels, 23 of which...
.
History
The church was built in NeoclassicalNeoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style in 1775, and designed by William Mallinson of Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
. It was replaced in the late 19th century by a new church a short distance away. The old church was then used as a mortuary chapel. It was severely damaged by a storm in the 1960s and its fabric deteriorated and the church suffered from vandalism. The Bishop of Wakefield
Bishop of Wakefield
The Bishop of Wakefield is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Wakefield in the Province of York.The diocese based in Wakefield in West Yorkshire, covers Wakefield, Barnsley, Kirklees and Calderdale...
wanted to have the whole church demolished. After negotiation, it was agreed that the diocese would pay for the demolition of the body of the church, while the Friends of Friendless Churches would be responsible for financing the repair and restoration of the tower. The Friends were granted a 99-year lease on the tower on 1 January 1974. The repair work was carried out by Marshalls of Elland
Elland
Elland is a market town in Calderdale, in the county of West Yorkshire, England, south of Halifax, by the River Calder and the Calder and Hebble Navigation. The area of Elland was called Elant in the Domesday Book...
and it was supervised by the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
expert Dr John Harvey. Further repairs were carried out in 1990 at a cost of £5,800.
Architecture
The tower is square in cross-section and constructed in hammer-dressed stone with ashlarAshlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
dressings. On the west face is a round-headed window with a circular window above. At belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
level is inscribed stone taken from an earlier church on the site. At the top of the tower is an octagonal cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
with a ball finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
. Inside the tower are an inscribed stone dated 1529, benefaction boards, and a monument from 1830 designed by Richard Westmacott
Richard Westmacott
Sir Richard Westmacott, Jr., RA was a British sculptor.-Life and career:He studied under his father, Richard Westmacott the Elder, before going to Rome in 1793 to study under Antonio Canova...
.