Holbeck: St Matthew
Overview
Grid reference: SE 291 322
The church is faced with neatly coursed fawn gritstone, now much blackened. The roofs are slated. The nave represents the archetypal simple Commissioners' Church, with seven tall lancets in each side wall and no ornament save octagonal pinnacles at the corners rising from clasping buttresses.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
West tower and spire, flanked by stairs to the galleries. Rectangular aisle nave. Chancel with organ chamber and heating chamber on north, vestry on south.
Description of Archaeology and History
A window in the south vestry gives the information - First stone laid 5th August 1829. Consecrated 4th January 1832. R.D. Chantrell, Architect.
A small framed leaflet adds to this - Chancel and spire dedicated 2nd May 1861. Re-opened after alteration and re-decoration 9th June 1902.
Exterior Description
The church is faced with neatly coursed fawn gritstone, now much blackened. The roofs are slated.
The nave represents the archetypal simple Commissioners' Church, with seven tall lancets in each side wall and no ornament save octagonal pinnacles at the corners rising from clasping buttresses. The base of the wall stands upon a plinth and there is a continuous stringcourse at the level of them window heads which forms a hood mould round each. The roof, of wide span, is fairly gently pitched and the line of the ridge is interrupted by ventilators.
The tower is divided into four stages by stringcourses, although both the door and the window above it break their bounds by rising above the space allocated. The spire sits slightly awkwardly on the tower, partly because the clasping buttresses which come right up to this level are cut off abruptly and the four pinnacles which might be expected to cap them are set farther in, in the place of broaches. There is no parapet, the division being marked by a chevron corbel-table.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
East window. Three lights and tracery.
Stained Glass
c. 1830
South window. A single lancet (rather dark because of the vestry behind) depicting St. Matthew. This is the most important window in the church. Not signed or dated, but it must be of c.1830 and its interest lies in the direct continuity of the 18th century tradition of treating stained glass as though it were a painting on panel or canvas.
Stained Glass
North-side, 3rd from east. All four windows in the nave have two separate scenes, one upper and one lower and under elaborate late Gothic-style canopies. This window illustrates Genesis 21, v. 14-19 (the story of Hagar) and Samuel 3, v. 4-16 (Samuel being called).
Stained Glass
North side, 1st from east. The scene illustrates 1 Samuel XVII, 34-3: and the lower 1 Samuel XXV 18-36.
Stained Glass
1882
South, side 1st from east. This is the one signed W.G. Taylor, 1882. It differs from the other three in not having an indication of the texts. The upper scene depicts Christ the Good Shepherd and Christ with Mary Magdalene.
Stained Glass
South side 3rd from east. The upper scene illustrates Our Lord and the woman of Samaria (John IV.5) and the lower the Calling: of Matthew (St Matthew IX.9).
Interior
Interior Description
The severe rectangular nature of the nave is to some extent relieved inside the church by the sweeping horse-shoe shape of the front of the gallery which takes up three sides of the nave, cutting unsympathetically across the tall windows. It is carried on cast iron pillars and has a panelled front, the larger rectangular panels seperated by smaller upright panels containg the simplest of pointed arches.
Under the gallery, the west end is screened off by modern glass screens to form a narthex, and a chapel has been aet up in the area under the south gallery furnished with items from the demolished church of St. John New Wortley. Another chapel has been formed at the east end of the north part of the nave, and both these are fitted into small places rather awkwardly.
The roof of the nave is broad, and almost flat, the surface broken by transverse beams.
The chancel arch is wide, and very plain, almost rpund but in fact slightly pointed. The roof of the chancel beyond has curved ties placed close together with plastered panels between. The ties are white with small gold florets on them and the intervening spaces are blue. There is a cornice along the side walls, an unexpected detail in a Gothic church.
Fixtures and fittings
Font (object)
c. 17th Century
The font is octagonal, decorated with simple designs within rectangular panels round the bowl. It appear to be seventeenth-century.
Pulpit
The pulpit is four sides of an octagon, the base plain and panelled and the upper part decorated with blind tracery, a foliated cross in the front panel and octofoil in the other panels.
Lectern
c. 1840s
The lectern is a specially bold wooden eagle with a very wide breast standing on a triple column.
Stall
The choirstalls have vigorous fleur-de-lys poppyheads - two rows of stalls on each side of the chancel.
Organ (object)
The organ is by Wood Wordsworth of Leeds, electric action with stop tabs. The two manuals and pedals govern 24 speaking stops.
Altar
The altar is very heavy, on turned oak columns.
Rail
The communion, rails are a good bold design with daffodils in the ironwork of the spandrels.
Reredos
A reredos in the south chapel comes from the demolished church of St. John the Baptist New Wortley, and was moved here in 1958. It was given to St John's church in 1891, and consists of a disparate asseebly of parts, some Jacobean, some earlier and some later, some English and some French. It is chiefly composed of panels from cupboards and decorative parts of roofs.
Reredos
The reredos and screen to the north chapel are marked as being by Thompson.
Screen
The reredos and screen to the north chapel are marked as being by Thompson.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SE 291 322
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
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