Stanley History Online - Saint Peters Church

Saint Peters Church

Stanley Church

The Church in Stanley has had more than its share of bad look in the last 190 years, from the very begining the building has been the centre of much contreversy as it is today. With the future of the old building uncertain, this page looks back at its history.

Church History

After the battle of Waterloo parliament voted the sum of £1 000, 000 from the war indemnity paid to this country by Austria to be spent on building churches for populous parts of the country that needed them. The Church of Stanley dedicated to St. Peter was constructed in 1822 at a cost of £12,000 and opened in September 6th 1824; The Rev. G. W. Lewis was instituted as the incumbent by the patron, the Vicar of Wakefield.

The church as then built was regarded as an unsatisfactory building due to the Commissioners insisting on there own design for the building, it is said the Vicar of Wakefield’s design would have been more satisfactory. Built with the two western towers, large lofty walls with large windows the building was heated by four enormous open fire places.

Church Before Fire

In the early days there was no organ, the choir was led by stringed instruments, and a Mr George Eggleston was paid a salary of ten shillings for playing the bass for the first half of the year in 1830. John Maude of Moor house spent £1100 in 1851 making alterations to the church, building piers and arches to form a nave, aisles and constructed a small chancel. He also changed a timber roof to a plastered ceiling and glazed the east and west windows with stained glass.

Church from Bramleys fields, now Beaumont Street

The Rev. Richard Burrell removed the north and south galleries in 1862 and took out the old box pews, reseating the nave with open stalls and raised the floor of the chancel. The font was also replaced with one presented by the ladies of Stanley. Several years later more improvements were made adding a chancel and side screens and oak choir stalls.

Church interior before fire

On February 18th 1911 a disastrous fire occurred destroying the building due to the pitch pine roof being ignited by heat from the boiler. The alarm was raised around 3 o'clock but by the time the fire brigade arrived it was already too late, it was a windy day which caused the flames to spread quicker and because the fire brigades facilities were poor they could do very little. Locals salvaged what they could from the church before the roof collapsed in on the timber pews inside sending a great burst of flames up into the air.. The next day the entire village turned up for a open air service, which would be the last at the Church until it was rebuilt. From the fire only the bare walls survived. Steps were taken at once to re build the church with direction of Mr Caroe. The north and south walls were lowered in height to form new aisles, new stone piers and arches were built with windows above and a new 31ft chancel was built at the east end of the building. The western vestibule gave way to a stone vaulted porch. The new church was consecrated by the Bishop of Wakefield on July 5 1913.

Church Fire 1911

Church interior after the devestating fire in 1911

The rebuilt church 1913

Church Postcard of the rebuilt church

From the collection of John Williams

The Churches misfortunes would continue over the next several decades through subsidence caused by mine workings. Work was carried out to try fix the problem in the 1920s but overtime the problem has worsened and due to an increasing cost to repair the building, the church was relocated in 2001 to the old school building, ironically the same place that housed the church for two years after the 1911 fire. Today the old church stands derelict and amid controversial plans to convert it to a housing development.

Church View from Cemetery Taken by Shaun Parkin

The Great Cholera Epidemic burials

The last Great Cholera Epidemic that hit the area was in 1849, which killed 99 inmates at the West Riding Asylum. These inmates from the Asylum were buried at the North East side of the Church Graveyard where a commemorative stone was laid to remember the dead. At the height of the epidemic some 16 bodies were buried in one day and for some time the “Dead Cart” was in daily transit to and from the Churchyard.

The Church Fire by Irene Burton

On Saturday February 18 1911, St. Peters Church caught fire, due to the pitch pine roof being ignited by heat from the boiler, by way of an iron pipe which carried smoke up from the boiler up through the timbered roof. A local publican saw the smoke and raised the alarm. The fire brigade was sent for but unfortunately their fire fighting facilities were poor and although there was a river directly opposite the church, because of the buildings elevation it was impossible to get water across. It was some time before a suitable engine was sent from Wakefield but by this time the church was beyond saving, and as it arrived the roof collapsed and a great burst of flames leapt skyward. Several villagers braved the flames and rescued as many church articles as possible, including the brass lectern. Evidently high winds fanned the flames, making an impressive, though tragic, and sight.

The following morning the whole village turned out for the service, which was held outside the burnt out ruin of the church, and was the last to be held there until the church was restored and re opened on July 5 1913

I have spoken with several older people in Stanley who remembered the fire. Dad had told me that when the news that the church was alight spread, he and four of his pals abandoned their game of taws and ran hell for leather across the fields and up the hill to see the sight. He said it was heavy going against the wind, and that people were streaming across the fields from all directions. Another resident told me that he was riding on a horse and cart with his father when word came of the fire and to his chagrin he was left holding the animal whilst his father charged off. An old lady told me she run into their house to ask her mother if she could go to the church, but was told that she must take her little brother with her. He could barely toddle so she had to take him piggy back all the way and she was only seven years old herself. Another lady told me that a week after the fire her son had left a lighted candle in the bedroom window and during the night the orange curtain caught fire. He woke up, lept out of bed and ran from the house yelling that the church was on fire again!

Irene’s friend Jessie remembered the fire very well indeed

“I was playing with my friend, Millie, in the fields when we saw a plume of smoke over towards the church. It was a February day and the wind was terrific. I know we had trouble keeping our hats on and eventually gave up. I ran to ask mother if I could go to see the fire and Millie asked hers, for we wouldn’t have dared go without asking, but we were warned to stay well clear of the church. The fire was well on the way when we got there and we stood in the field below, where the school feasts were held, watching the wind blow the flames in all directions. There was plenty of water in the river across the road, but the horse drawn fire engine that had been summoned could not get any water over to the church. Then we saw the roof begin to cave in and it crashed down onto the pews, just as the Wakefield fireman arrived, but by then it was too late, and in any case the hydrant pressure was not enough to do any good. There were crowds of people there with more and more arriving as word got round.

Some of the men were carrying things out of the church and a big lad of about 6ft 2, Billy Parkinson, ran in and carried out the big brass lectern and put it by the west door amongst the graves. When the new church was dedicated the vicar said Billy should have the honour of carrying the lectern back in again, but do you know, he couldn’t lift it, no matter how many times he tried. It took three men to carry it back into the church. One of those cases of strength needed strength given".

The Church font

Poem referring to the Church Fire

Written by Mr T Peel of Sycamore Terrace, Stanley Grove shortly after the fire

"In a little quiet hamlet

Near to Wakefield, known so well,

Where the people love to worship

And to hear the old church bell

Ringing out its notes of gladness

Early in the morning air,

Calling folk to sweet communion

And to thankfulness and prayer.

But to all there came a shadow

To remind us of the past,

By so many fleeting changes,

Nothing in the world can last.

As we heard the cries of fire

And the clanging of a bell

And the hoofs of panting horses

Then the firemen as well.

So they passed us in a moment

and were quickly out of sight;

Then there came a gentle murmour

And, with faces ashen white,

You could see the people gather

From the village left and right;

For their dear old family alter

Was on fire and burning bright

More Church Photos

Taken by Shaun Parkin

Click any image to enlarge

Saint Peters Church

View from Lake Lock Entrance

Saint Peters Church

View From Aberford Road Entrance

Saint Peters Church

View from graveyard

Saint Peters Church

View from graveyard

Saint Peters Church

View of entrance

Saint Peters Church

Church view

Saint Peters Church

Taken from Lake Lock entrance

Saint Peters Church

Photo by Shaun Parkin

Saint Peters Church

Photo by Shaun Parkin

Saint Peters Church

Photo by Shaun Parkin

Church Interior Photos

Taken by Brian Robinson in Stanley Church April 1977 and March 1978

These photos show how much of a loss the old church building is to the community, Special thank you to Brian for sharing these photos with the community

Click any image to enlarge

Stanley Church Interior

Taken by Brian Robinson April 1977

Stanley Church Interior

Taken by Brian Robinson April 1977