Blue window reprise

I have posted this on my blog before, in the very early days, but it's one of my favourite photos of Saltaire URC.   The famous Victorian church is much photographed and it's hard to find a new angle on it.  Looking upwards above the entrance door, there is this little blue glass window and you can see some of the detail under the canopy, which has undergone extensive restoration since I took the photo.

Mausoleum

This is (a repost of) the angel in the Salt Family Mausoleum inside Saltaire's beautiful Victorian United Reformed Church. The church was built by Sir Titus Salt as a gift to the people of his mill village of Saltaire.  It was completed in 1859 but the Mausoleum was a later addition, added in 1861.  Sir Titus Salt himself was buried there in 1877 and several other family members are also laid to rest here.

Inside Saltaire's church (2)

This is a photo I've used before on my blog, but it nicely shows more of the inside of Saltaire's famous church.  Being a non-conformist church (originally a Congregational Church and now United Reformed) it doesn't have the separate chancel (the bit where the choir and clergy sit) that an Anglican church would have.  The organ and above that the pulpit, take centre stage, emphasising the importance of preaching and sung worship.  You can also see more clearly on this photo the scagliola columns I talked about yesterday - hollow columns, painted to look like marble.  The blue screening to the left of the picture hides the entrance to the Salt Family Mausoleum where Sir Titus Salt, Saltaire's founder and several members of his family are interred.

Inside Saltaire's church

The inside of Saltaire's famous Grade I listed United Reformed Church (formerly known as the Congregational Church) is as ornate as the outside - perhaps unusually so for a non-conformist church.  I am never sure whether I like or dislike the decorative cut-glass and ormolu chandeliers, originally lit by gas. They are so heavy that the roof had to be especially strengthened.  It is a nice light space inside though and the ceiling is most attractive.  The green columns, which you can see in the corners, are hollow and decorated with a paint effect called 'scagliola'.  A little balcony sits over the entrance door and looks up the aisle towards the front, where the organ and pulpit are.   I believe it was intended for the use of members of Sir Titus Salt's family, though as Sir Titus did not live in Saltaire himself, I'm not sure if he regularly worshipped in the church.

For more photos and information, please click the Saltaire URC label below.

Two spires

I just spent a happy weekend visiting my daughter and son-in-law in London.  Unusually we didn't venture into central London this time, contenting ourselves with exploring closer to where they live in north London.  I was impressed by these two church spires in Stoke Newington.  Both church buildings are part of the same church - the old church of St Mary's and the new church.  There has been a site of Christian worship here since at least 1086 and the old church (in the foreground) dates back to 1563 - one of the few remaining Elizabethan churches in the country - though its spire was a later addition.  By the mid-19th century the area was rapidly developing and leaving behind its rural village roots.  The church was too small (the then Rector, Rev Thomas Jackson, was attracting large congregations with his preaching) so a new church was built, designed in neo-Gothic style by George Gilbert Scott (who also designed St Pancras Station and the Albert Memorial) and consecrated in 1858.  Both buildings are now used for worship and community activities.  I wasn't able to go inside but there are interesting photos on the church website.

(Don't you think the 1850s must have been an astonishing time in England? So much development was going on - it was around 1850 that the building of Saltaire's mill and village was started.)

Heritage Trail 3 - Saltaire's United Reformed Church

'Continue downhill along Victoria Road, passing the impressive Saltaire United Reformed Church on the left...'  I have posted many photos of this beautiful and unusual building (click the 'Saltaire URC' label to see more - both inside and outside) - but for completeness as we 'walk' the Heritage Trail I'm posting another one. I never get tired of looking at it anyway, as it's such an iconic building.

Originally the Congregational Church, it was completed in 1859.  Sir Titus Salt, Saltaire's founder, was a staunch Christian and was anxious to provide spiritually as well as materially for his employees.  The church was in many ways the crowning glory of his paternalistic vision for a township that would provide all that his workers in the vast textile mill, and their families, could need. (As well as a last resting place for himself and his family, in the adjoining Mausoleum.)

Situated directly opposite the main entrance to Salts Mill, the church stands at the end of a long drive that focuses the visitor's attention on the magnificent entrance and tower.  To the right, you can just see the Stable Block cottages.

[No 2 on the street plan]

Peace on earth

Peace on earth..... seems to be a good thing to wish for at the start of another New Year.  Though in my photo, the dove seems to have got into a tangle with the floral decoration, which is perhaps not the best omen! Certainly peace on earth seems as far away as ever.  But I like to think we bloggers are doing our bit to foster friendly relations across the globe.  I dip into a lot of blogs, from all over the world, and I really enjoy getting an insight into people, places, families, festivals, customs and life in general in the many places pictured and represented.  I'm looking forward to another year of sharing my little patch of England with you.

I took this photo on Christmas Day in my church, St Peter's Shipley, which as usual was beautifully decorated for the festive season.  As someone with not a green finger on my body (!) I can only admire those with the skill to create such lovely and imaginative displays.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy, prosperous, healthy, fulfilling - and yes, peaceful - 2011.

A child is born

The angel said: 'I bring you good news of great joy.  

Today a Saviour has been born; he is Christ the Lord.'   

Luke 2 10-11

It's Christmas Day!  And I sincerely wish you and those you love - wherever you are and whatever you believe - a very joyful and peaceful day, full of blessings.

My photo shows the crib scene at my church - St Peter's, Shipley.  I am not sure of its history or exactly how old it is but it has been brought out each Christmas for as long as I can remember. I like the old pottery figures, the donkey and the ox lying in the straw, the shepherd boy playing his pipe.  I am always especially touched by the figure of Mary, kneeling in silent prayer before her son.  

Thanks be to God.

Another tradition...

My church, St Peter's Shipley, staged our second 'Walking Nativity' on Sunday afternoon (another event that might well become a tradition).  For those not familiar with the concept, it involves a walk of about a mile through the local streets, starting at our church and ending in a large farm barn (which happily belongs to some members of our congregation.)  We stop every now and again to sing a carol and watch actors (mostly members of our Youth Group) enact a scene from the Christmas Story ...with a modern twist.

We saw Joseph packing his rucksack for a long journey with Mary, pondering what the angel had told him about the child soon to be born.  We heard the Innkeeper's tale and the Shepherd's tale, we saw the Magi carrying gifts for a King and finally we watched the magical scene in the stable as everyone came to see the baby.  Wonderful!

"For to us a child is born... and he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, 

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  Isaiah 9:6

First snow

Snow has the power to transform English churches into something magical and its effect on Saltaire URC always pleases me, even though the church is far from a quintessential country church.  We woke up on Saturday morning to a couple of centimetres of crisp, sparkly white stuff and even though I had a 'To Do' list as long as my arm, I couldn't resist a walk.  The sun was not very high so the shadows were long but the snow around the church was virgin.  No-one had yet walked or driven down the drive - and I didn't go and spoil it either!

[After the great but inconclusive size debate, would it be very eccentric of me to post 'landscape' format images in Blogger's X large size and 'portrait' format ones in its Large size?  This one certainly looks better bigger.]

Another view

 

Taken a couple of weeks ago (before it snowed!) Tee hee! You'd have laughed, watching me trying to take this!  I have long been convinced that there is a good photo to be had by framing Saltaire's famous United Reformed Church in its own wrought iron gates. It's not the easiest project.  For one thing the gates are often open and I would not like to be caught closing them without permission.  But it's a tricky prospect mainly because of the contortions I have to get into, to get the framing right.  There are two gates, so neither of the round holes shows the church exactly in its centre when viewed square on.  Standing up I'm too high, kneeling down I'm too low - so I have to adopt a very awkward and unbalanced twisted half-crouch... must look hilarious.  This was hand-held but even with my tripod, I doubt I could get it to the right height.  I've tried once or twice to do this - this is my best effort so far.

Church bells

I was passing near Saltaire's United Reformed Church on Saturday, when I heard the bells ringing.  That's a sound that was not heard in the village for a long time.  The church's original bells, installed in 1870, were removed in about 1939 to make munitions during the Second World War.  In 2003, to celebrate the bi-centenary of Sir Titus Salt's birth, a new peal of bells was donated by Mrs Maggie Silver.  The church is one of only four non-conformist churches in England to have a ring of bells.

Despite the new bells and the church's beauty, I haven't noticed many weddings here (I believe about 25 a year) so I was pleased to see that the bell-ringing was celebrating a wedding.  It wasn't a great day for a photo - rather dull and dark - and you can't see the bride and groom, who were well-hidden amongst the crowd.  But I just caught this shot as the wedding party let loose a stream of balloons.  I'm not aware that is a traditional English wedding custom, but things change all the time!

You can get an idea of the scale of the building when you see people on the steps.  It is only a week or so since they removed the scaffolding and sheeting that has been covering the front of the church all summer.  The cupola (porch) canopy timbers and beams have been restored.  The next scheduled phase of restoration involves work to the Salt family mausoleum.


Once again, a million thanks to all who have voted for my photos in the 'Yorkshire Landscapes' competition.   And if you haven't... there's still time!  (See my Saturday post for more info.)

Overview

(Please view large by clicking on photo)
Back in Saltaire again....  and though it was gathering up for rain, those are not extra black storm clouds at the very top of the picture - just a dirty window!  I took this from the staircase on the top floor of Salts Mill.   That level is not usually open to the public so maybe they don't clean these windows very often!  Nevertheless I liked the view from right up here.  It's interesting how you get a different sense of a place from higher up.  We are looking out over Victoria Road, towards the railway station on the left.  The building in the centre is the old Dining Hall, where the mill workers used to get their meals (now part of Shipley College).  Behind you can see the church, still shrouded in plastic and metalwork as the canopy repairs continue.  You can also see the edge of Saltaire's residential area on the extreme left.  Those houses are on Albert Terrace and were among the earliest houses in the village to be completed, in 1854.

The oldest building...

I am taking you on another trip beyond Saltaire... some 20 miles (32kms) SE as the crow flies, a bit further by road - to a little village called Ledsham. Saltaire, built in the 1850s, is historic - but in Ledsham stands the oldest church (and the oldest building) in our county of West Yorkshire. What is now All Saints Church was first built over 1200 years ago, in the early 8th century (900 AD).

The bottom part of the church tower, shown above, is part of an Anglo-Saxon porch. The doorway, the little window and surrounding wall are thought to be part of a large stone building that was an important centre of Christianity, perhaps a monastery. The church has been altered many times since but parts of the earliest building are still clearly visible. You can see from the picture below that the porch was built upwards in Norman times (12th century). There is an area (around where the clock now is) of random stonework and then a Norman belfry with the distinctive rounded arch.

The carving around the door was done in Victorian times but may be a copy of what was there originally and the spire was added later too. The groundplan of the church was extended several times, with many of the tiny Anglo-Saxon windows replaced by larger ones in the 13th century and still larger ones (like the gothic pointed arch that you see on the right) in the 15th century. (If you make the picture larger, you can see the outline of an older, smaller window to the left of the large window.)

 
I got so excited exploring this place - such history.... The village of Ledsham itself is interesting too. It had a school and an orphanage endowed by Lady Elizabeth Hastings (1682 -1739), both of which have been converted into very desirable homes.  Ledsham is now a quiet little commuter village, not far from Leeds and the motorway network. (And it has a very nice gastro-pub, The Chequers Inn, which unusually is closed on Sundays because of an old tradition).

Bridal carriage

There was a wedding taking place in Bolton Priory Church last Saturday when I was there. It meant I couldn't go into the church, which is a pity as it's very attractive inside. The church is in such a picturesque setting that it is a very popular choice for (well-to-do!) couples. I caught a glimpse of the bride and groom through the glass doors of the church, but didn't manage to take any photos of them. This, however, was the vintage car waiting to whisk them off to their reception after the wedding ceremony. I'm not sure what type of car it is. It was so highly polished that this picture could also qualify for the Weekend Reflections theme!

Bolton Abbey

This is a clearer view of Bolton Abbey ruins, the Priory Church and its graveyard (where, incidentally, the famous Yorkshire & English cricketer Fred Trueman is buried.) Nestled into a bend in the River Wharfe, it is an idyllic spot, beloved by locals and tourists alike. The Bolton estate around it has miles of lovely walks along the river banks and through ancient woods. There are several famous beauty spots including the Strid, a point where the generally broad river suddenly narrows and rushes through a steep chasm among the rocks.

PS: History note - the abbeys and monasteries all over England were deliberately dissolved, by King Henry 8th around 1536 - the English Reformation - when he made himself 'Supreme Head of the Church of England' and split from Papal authority. (In part because he wanted his marriage annulled, which the Catholic church would not allow). Once disbanded, the buildings fell into neglect and much of the stone was stolen and used for other buildings. That's why we have so many ruined abbeys in England.

Stepping out

It's Weekend Reflections time again, hosted by James at Newtown Area Photo. And here is an intrepid family crossing the river at Bolton Abbey via the stepping stones. Me...? I used the footbridge!

Bolton Abbey is a famous beauty spot (about 20 miles north of Saltaire) at the southern end of the Yorkshire Dales, where the River Wharfe winds its way through meadows and woods belonging to the estate of the Duke of Devonshire. The Abbey ruins are the remains of a priory (small monastery) founded in 1151. When the monasteries were dissolved by King Henry 8th, the nave of the priory was allowed to continue as a parish church, so you have the interesting situation where there is a small but active local church (which, incidentally, is really beautiful inside) within the imposing ruined abbey.

Stained glass light

This is one of the windows in the chancel (choir area) of St Mary's Church, Kettlewell. Though it was quite a dull day, just for a moment sunshine streamed through, creating soft colours on the stone.

Several of the stained glass windows in the church are memorials to servicemen - to John and Michael Holdsworth (of Scargill House) who were both killed in WW2 (though Michael's twin William survived the war) and to Charles Godfrey Cutcliffe Hyne, who was killed aged 18 in WW1 1916. I didn't get a good photo of that window (didn't have my tripod) but it is a very poignant picture. It shows Christ - with a very boyish face, glowing with light - standing by a pile of soldier's clothes representing the boy who died. There are two uniformed soliders, one on each side, each with the face of one of his real-life friends. It really reminded me that so many of those killed in war (even today) are such young men.

St Mary's Church, Kettlewell

There has been a church in Kettlewell since Norman times (1120). The present building is Victorian, consecrated in 1885. It replaced the previous Georgian building that was found to be unsafe and was demolished, though the Georgian tower still stands. It is a modestly sized church set in attractive grounds - some of the churchyard is tended, with mown grass and garden flowers but some has been allowed to grow wild. At the churchyard entrance there is a lychgate - a wooden arched gateway - erected in 1921 by the Holdsworths (who at that time owned Scargill House) in thanksgiving for their marriage. (If you want to know more about lychgates, look at H's blog, Little Sealed Packages).

Amber

There have been some lovely summer evenings in Saltaire of late, and some beautiful skies - though usually, by the time I notice, the sunset has all but gone. The terrace of houses behind mine obscures the western sky and I can only see a small patch from my study window (which is usually where I am in the evenings.) So I look up, see a pretty pink or orange sky, grab my camera and dash out and by the time I've legged it down into the village, the best of the show is over! That's happened a few times.... though I did like this rich amber glow I managed to catch behind the tower of Saltaire's lovely church.